Physician, Professor
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Department: Internal Medicine
I am the director of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. My clinical expertise is focused on treating patients with conditions including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, lipid disorders, atherosclerosis and hypertension.
As a physician-scientist, I am passionate about using innovative research to improve patient care. My work has focused on better understanding the mechanisms by which obesity and diabetes increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. I also study how women and men are different metabolically and why they may need different approaches to treatment. In addition, I work to understand how patients’ lifestyles fit with their medical treatments.
My research has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and I have served on committees within the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Diabetes Association.
My responsibilities also include helping to educate the next generation of providers. I am a professor of Internal Medicine in The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I also am the director of the Lipid Clinic at the Columbus Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Please note: Not all physicians schedule patients at each listed location.
I joined The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center on July 1, 2025, as the Director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. I bring a distinguished record of leadership, research, and clinical expertise in the fields of diabetes, obesity, and metabolism.
Before coming to Ohio State, I was an Associate Professor of Medicine with tenure at Vanderbilt University, where I served as Chief of the Endocrine Section at the Tennessee Valley VA Healthcare System and Director of the Lipid Clinic. My work has focused on understanding how obesity and diabetes increase the risk of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis, advancing both clinical care and biomedical research.
I have led nationally recognized educational programs, including the Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program and the NIDDK Medical Student Research Program, training more than 1,200 medical students from over 100 U.S. medical schools. I am the principal investigator on multiple NIH-funded projects, including studies on sex-specific risks of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. My contributions have earned me prestigious honors such as the Oscar B. Crofford Award for Research in Endocrinology and the Early-Career Investigator Award for Excellence from the Kern Lipid Conference.
His vision for the division includes:
I earned my BA, MD, and PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics from Vanderbilt University, where I also completed my internal medicine residency and clinical/research fellowship in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism.
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we support a faculty member’s research and consulting in collaboration with medical device, research and/or drug companies because a faculty member’s expertise can guide important advancements in the practice of medicine and improve patient care. In order to provide effective management of these relationships, the University requires annual disclosures from all faculty members with external interests related to their University responsibilities.
As of 11/3/2025, John Stafford has reported no relationships with companies or entities.