Six UTMB staff, students named Daily News 40 Under 40 honorees August 14, 2026 • 8:00 a.m. by Margaret Battistelli Gardner Honorees are chosen based on professional accomplishments, professional growth, and community service. McWhorter appointed as chair of the UT System Employee Advisory Council July 24, 2026 • 8:40 a.m. by Margaret Battistelli Gardner After serving on the UT System Employee Advisory Council’s Resources and Support Committee and as vice chair of the executive board, Will McWhorter now leads the systemwide employee advisory group. Nishi named chief of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at UTMB July 15, 2026 • 8:00 a.m. by Katherine Adams Shawn Nishi, MD, has been appointed chief of the UTMB Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. A UTMB alumna and longtime faculty member, she aims to expand research, education, innovation, and access to specialized pulmonary care. Gov. Abbott appoints UTMB Health nephrologist to Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force July 9, 2026 • 11:16 a.m. by Katherine Adams Ajay Israni, MD, chief of the Division of Nephrology at UTMB, has been appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to the state's Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force. UTMB postdoctoral training program recognized by National Postdoctoral Association July 7, 2026 • 3:17 p.m. by Katherine Adams The University of Texas Medical Branch has been recognized by the National Postdoctoral Association for its Postdoctoral Certificate Program, which helps early-career scientists build leadership and professional skills. The award honors the UTMB commitment to supporting postdoctoral scholars' long-term career success. UTMB AI innovators win international hackathon with radiology viewer and teaching tool June 26, 2026 • 11:48 a.m. by Leslie Sanderson A small team of developers at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) was one of 50 winners out of 4,096 entries in the Google DeepMind Kaggle hackathon. VibeRad, a teaching prototype of a radiology viewer, was created through vibe coding. Jochen Reiser named a 2026 Most Admired CEO by Houston Business Journal June 24, 2026 • 10:33 a.m. by Melissa McDonald Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, president of The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and CEO of the UTMB Health System, has been selected as one of the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in recognition of his leadership and strategic vision. Odigie-Okon recognized as a Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance June 18, 2026 • 8:28 a.m. by Margaret Battistelli Gardner An accomplished advanced cardiac imaging cardiologist, Odigie-Okon is the medical director of Cardiac MRI and co-director of Cardiac CT at UTMB. UTMB Health recognizes Compassion in Practice Award winners for 2026 second quarter June 17, 2026 • 11:32 a.m. by Amanda Linford The Patient Experience team at UTMB Health is honoring two teams with the Compassion in Practice Award, which celebrates one inpatient team and one ambulatory team whose efforts help shape positive experiences for patients and families across the health system. Jochen Reiser named Business Person of the Year by The Galveston County Daily News May 26, 2026 • 1:34 p.m. by Stephen Hadley and Margaret Battistelli Gardner From bold innovation to measurable impact, Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, at UTMB is redefining what leadership looks like in modern healthcare. Learn why The Galveston County Daily News named him Business Person of the Year. Search Categories Awards & Accolades Education Faculty/Staff News Health Care In The News Innovations News Releases Top News UTMB Research Contact Media Team UTMB Experts
Six UTMB staff, students named Daily News 40 Under 40 honorees August 14, 2026 • 8:00 a.m. by Margaret Battistelli Gardner Honorees are chosen based on professional accomplishments, professional growth, and community service.
McWhorter appointed as chair of the UT System Employee Advisory Council July 24, 2026 • 8:40 a.m. by Margaret Battistelli Gardner After serving on the UT System Employee Advisory Council’s Resources and Support Committee and as vice chair of the executive board, Will McWhorter now leads the systemwide employee advisory group.
Nishi named chief of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at UTMB July 15, 2026 • 8:00 a.m. by Katherine Adams Shawn Nishi, MD, has been appointed chief of the UTMB Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. A UTMB alumna and longtime faculty member, she aims to expand research, education, innovation, and access to specialized pulmonary care.
Gov. Abbott appoints UTMB Health nephrologist to Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force July 9, 2026 • 11:16 a.m. by Katherine Adams Ajay Israni, MD, chief of the Division of Nephrology at UTMB, has been appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to the state's Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force.
UTMB postdoctoral training program recognized by National Postdoctoral Association July 7, 2026 • 3:17 p.m. by Katherine Adams The University of Texas Medical Branch has been recognized by the National Postdoctoral Association for its Postdoctoral Certificate Program, which helps early-career scientists build leadership and professional skills. The award honors the UTMB commitment to supporting postdoctoral scholars' long-term career success.
UTMB AI innovators win international hackathon with radiology viewer and teaching tool June 26, 2026 • 11:48 a.m. by Leslie Sanderson A small team of developers at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) was one of 50 winners out of 4,096 entries in the Google DeepMind Kaggle hackathon. VibeRad, a teaching prototype of a radiology viewer, was created through vibe coding.
Jochen Reiser named a 2026 Most Admired CEO by Houston Business Journal June 24, 2026 • 10:33 a.m. by Melissa McDonald Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, president of The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and CEO of the UTMB Health System, has been selected as one of the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in recognition of his leadership and strategic vision.
Odigie-Okon recognized as a Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance June 18, 2026 • 8:28 a.m. by Margaret Battistelli Gardner An accomplished advanced cardiac imaging cardiologist, Odigie-Okon is the medical director of Cardiac MRI and co-director of Cardiac CT at UTMB.
UTMB Health recognizes Compassion in Practice Award winners for 2026 second quarter June 17, 2026 • 11:32 a.m. by Amanda Linford The Patient Experience team at UTMB Health is honoring two teams with the Compassion in Practice Award, which celebrates one inpatient team and one ambulatory team whose efforts help shape positive experiences for patients and families across the health system.
Jochen Reiser named Business Person of the Year by The Galveston County Daily News May 26, 2026 • 1:34 p.m. by Stephen Hadley and Margaret Battistelli Gardner From bold innovation to measurable impact, Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, at UTMB is redefining what leadership looks like in modern healthcare. Learn why The Galveston County Daily News named him Business Person of the Year.