Faculty Profile
Joseph C. Kolars, MD, MACP
- Director, University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity
- Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine
- Josiah Macy, Jr., Professor of Health Professions Education
A practicing gastroenterologist, Kolars's career has focused on medical education with a focus on learner outcomes, mentorship, and faculty development in the US and abroad. His research assesses teaching quality within the medical curriculum, examines educational outcomes, and aims to improve patient care. Kolars serves as a consultant to NIH's Fogarty Center and their AFRE health initiatives in Africa and as co-director of the Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research with Peking University. Kolars has also served on the board of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.
Kolars lived in Shanghai from 1996-1999 while helping to establish one of China's first western-based health care systems. From 2007-2011 he served as a consultant to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where he oversaw initiatives that partnered health science schools in sub-Saharan Africa with those in the US.
- BA, College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 1977
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, 1982
Research Interests:
Assessment of teacher quality, efficacy of medical learning venues
Educational outcomes, measurements of learner competency
Educating trainees to improve patient care
Strengthening health education and health systems in low-resource settings
Current Projects:
Northern/Pacific Universities Global Health Research Training Consortium
Veterans Administration Career Development Associate Investigator Award: Cytochromes P-450III in Gastrointestinal Mucosa
IPA Assignment: Joseph Kolars' Intergovernmental Personnel Act for Jeffrey Smith, MD
ACGME Educational Innovations Project: Educating Residents to Improve Patient Care
Analysis of Twinning Programs and the Development of Global Health Human Resources Strategy / Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Evidence-Based Education Initiatives to Strengthen Health in Sub-Saharan Africa / Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Ghana Emergency Medicine Collaborative Training Program
Accelerating Change in Medical Educatiomerican Medical Association
Collaborative Engagement (EM-PACE)
Accountable Graduate Medical Education: Demonstrating the value of GME to vested stakeholders/Josiah Macy, Jr., Foundation
Chen C, Buch E, Wassermann T, Frehywot S, Mullan F, Omaswa F, Greysen SR, Kolars JC, et al.: A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical school. Hum Resour Health 2012:10:4. http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/10/1/4
Kolars JC, Cahill K, Donkor P, Kaaya E, Lawson A, Serwadda D, Sewankambo NK: Perspective: partnering for medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa: seeking the evidence
for effective collaborations. Acad Med 2012:87(2):216-20.
Gruppen LD, Mangrulkar RS, Kolars JC: The promise of competency-based education in the health professions for improving
global health. Hum Resour Health 2012:10:43.
Olapade-Olaopa E, Baird S, Kiguli-Malwadde E, Kolars JC. Growing Partnerships: Leveraging the Power of Collaboration through Medical Education
Partnership Initiative. Acad Med 2014:89(8 Suppl):S19-23.
Ton TG, Gladding SP, Zunt JR, John C, Nerurkar VR, Moyer CA, Hobbs N, McCoy M, Kolars JC. The Development and Implementation of a Competency-Based Curriculum for Training in
Global Health Research. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014:92:163-71.
Kolars JC, Zhan Q. Advancing science and education through a novel collaboration platform between the
University of Michigan and Peking University Health Science Center. FASEB BioAdvances 2/2021:00:1-
Email: jckolars@umich.edu
Office: 734-615-5552
Address:
2800 Plymouth Road
NCRC Building 100, Room 138
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Areas of Expertise: Health Care, Health Equity