Dr. McClain received his MD and PhD degrees from the Rockefeller University/ Cornell Medical School Biomedical Sciences Program in 1979 and performed his thesis work in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Gerald Edelman. His internship and residency in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology were completed at Stanford and the University of California at San Diego. Dr. McClain came to the University of Utah after holding faculty positions at the University of California San Diego, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Mississippi.
Dr. McClain is currently Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where he holds the Bettilyon Chair in Diabetes Research. After serving as the Director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism for eight years, in 2008 he assumed the positions of Associate Vice President for Clinical Research and the Directorship of the NIH-funded Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CTSA). Dr. McClain participates in the national consortium as a co-chair for the Clinical Service Center Key Function Committee, co-chair of Strategic Goal Committee 5, and member of the CTSA Consortium Executive Committee. He has also served as Associate Editor of the Journal Endocrinology and Chair of grant review panels of the NIH, VA, and American Diabetes Association. Dr. McClain has coauthored over 95 peer-reviewed research publications in the fields of metabolism, diabetes, and obesity.