Dr. Clifton is a senior gastroenterologist, well known internationally for his many contributions to a variety of professional organizations. He served as President of the American Gastroenterological Association, President of the American College of Physicians, and Chairman of the American Board of Internal Medicine, among other offices. Dr. Clifton, for whom the James A. Clifton Center for Digestive Diseases is named, retired in 1990 but served as interim Dean for The University of Iowa College of Medicine until 1993.  His key interests were small intestinal transport in research  and in graduate medical education.

Honors, Awards, and Organizations

• Alpha Omega Alpha
• American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Diplomat  1955, Gastroenterology 1962
  • Member, Board of Governors 1972-81
    • Subspecialty Board Gastroenterology 1968-75
      • Chair 1972-75
  • Chair, Board of Governors 1980-81
• American Clinical and Climatological Association, Vice President, 1983-1984
• American College of Physicians
  • Fellow 1959
  • Master 1978
  • Board of Regents 1972-79
  • President 1977-78
  • Alfred Stengel Award 1984
• American Gastroenterology Association
  • President, 1970-71
• American Physiological Society
• Association for American Physicians
• Association of Professors of Medicine,1970-75
  • Secretary-Treasurer, 1973-75
• Central Society for Clinical Research
• Digestive Disease Foundation, Board of Directors 1969-73
• American Board of Medical Specialties
  • Liaison Committee on Graduate Medical Education 1976-77
• International Society of Internal Medicine
  • Executive Committee, 1978-82
• Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research ( Zurich / New York )
  • Member, Scientific Committee 1984-95
• National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, 1980
• National Institute of Arthritis,Metabolism and Digestive Diseases of National Institutes of Health
  • Gastroenterology and Nutrition Research Training Grants Committee1964-68
    • Chair 1965-68
  • Health Task Force Committee 1969
  • National Advisory Council 1970-73
  • Committee on Research in Gastroenterology 1973-74
• The Royal Society of Medicine, 1984
• Vanderbilt Medical School, Distinguished Alumnus, 1984
• Veterans Administration Gastroenterology Training Committee 1969-72
  • Chair 1970-71
• Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Achievement Award, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine 2000
• Distinguished Mentoring Award, Carver College of Medicine 2002
• University of Iowa Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement Award 2004
  

Medical School:
Vanderbilt University

Residency:
The University of Iowa

Fellowship:
Massachusetts Memorial Hospital

Special Training:
  Special Research Fellow in Gastroenterology, NIH Evans Memorial Hospital, Boston Massachusetts