Biography

Thomas A. Kerr, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. A hepatologist, Dr. Kerr specializes in liver diseases and liver transplant medicine.

He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology.

Originally from Canada, Dr. Kerr earned his medical degree and doctoral research degree at UT Southwestern. He completed an internal medicine residency, a three-year gastroenterology fellowship, and advanced hepatology/liver transplant training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

He also holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas Tech University. 

Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2015, Dr. Kerr served as an Assistant Professor of internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. 

Dr. Kerr’s research interests include liver cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, hepatitis C, and liver transplantation. He has published a number of scholarly articles, contributed to several books, and is a guest reviewer for the American Journal of Transplantation and Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.

He also serves as co-investigator on a number of clinical trials focused on chronic liver conditions.

Dr. Kerr is a member of professional organizations that include the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Transplantation, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

In 2019, Dr. Kerr was named a Texas Monthly Super Doctor Rising Star. His professional honors also include the 2009 and 2010 Fellow to Faculty Transition Award from the American Gastroenterological Association/Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition, as well as the 2006 Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Meet Dr. Kerr

Liver Disease and Transplant Specialist in Dallas

As a hepatologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Thomas Kerr, M.D., Ph.D., specializes in evaluating and treating a full range of acute and chronic liver diseases – from hepatitis and cirrhosis to liver failure and pre- and post-transplant care.

A driving force that led Dr. Kerr to focus on liver conditions was seeing just how transformative the right treatment can be.

“While going through my training, I was struck by how a patient who was terribly sick with advanced liver disease could undergo a liver transplant, and then six months or a year later appear completely healthy with an excellent quality of life,” he says.

Fellowship trained, Dr. Kerr has special expertise in liver transplant medicine and in caring for patients with end-stage liver disease, viral hepatitis, and fatty liver disease. He also performs routine colonoscopies and upper gastrointestinal endoscopies.

Strength of a Multidisciplinary Program

Dr. Kerr is board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology. He’s proud to be part of UT Southwestern’s skilled, multidisciplinary team, which includes experts in every major liver disease.

“Taking care of patients with liver disease requires both a hepatologist and specialists such as surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists,” he says.

“UT Southwestern has an excellent team that can take care of any liver condition that comes up, and we work together to determine the best course of action.”

The strength of the program, Dr. Kerr says, is that it’s made up of clinicians from a variety of backgrounds, all focused on delivering the best possible care.

“Patient care is about making people’s lives better and longer,” he says. “We focus on what’s best for each individual patient.”

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Education & Training
  • Fellowship - Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital (2006-2009), Gastroenterology
  • Residency - Washington University School of Medicine (2004-2006), Internal Medicine
  • Medical School - UT Southwestern Medical School (1997-2004)
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Gastroenterological Association (2006), Member
  • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (2009), Member
  • American Society of Transplantation (2011), Member
  • Dallas County Medical Society (2015), Member
Honors & Awards
  • D Magazine Best Doctor 2021-2022
  • Texas Monthly Super Doctor Rising Star 2019
  • Barry M. Goldwater Undergraduate Fellowship (Texas Tech University) 1995, The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program Foundation
  • Alpha Omega Alpha 2004, Medical Honor Society
  • Greg Gurtner Resident Research Award 2005, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award 2006, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • Fellow to Faculty Transition Award 2009, American Gastroenterological Association/Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition
Books & Publications
Research
  • Liver Transplantation
  • Hepatitis C
  • Fatty Liver
  • Cirrhosis

Clinical Focus

  • Liver Transplant Evaluations
  • Liver Transplant Medicine
  • Liver Disease
  • Gastroenterology

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Q&A by Dr. Kerr