Academic Enterprise Announcements

Harsh Thaker, MD, PhD, has been named Chair of the Department of Pathology in the John Sealy School of Medicine and will also hold the prestigious John Sealy Distinguished Chair for the Advancement of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Heather Stevenson-Lerner, MD, PhD, FCAP, has been named Director of the John Sealy Diagnostic Center.

I am delighted to announce that Emily J. Hurst, MSLS, will join UTMB as the Director of Library Services this June.

Please join me in sharing tremendous appreciation for Patricia (Pat) Ciejka, Associate Vice President for Library Services. She retires at the end of April 2026.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Joshua L. Gary, MD, as Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, effective Aug 3, 2026.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of a new leader within the Chief Research Office as part of our ongoing efforts to align with institutional priorities and support our research mission. Kenneth Plante, PhD, will serve as the Research Security Officer for the newly created Office of Research Security effective April 1, 2026.

Volker Neugebauer, MD, PhD, has accepted the position of Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and will join The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) this fall.

Alexander N. Freiberg, PhD, has accepted the role of Associate Director of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) at the University of Texas Medical Branch, effective March 1, 2026.

The John Sealy School of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Max Wintermark, MD, MS, MBA, as the new Chair of the Department of Radiology, effective April 1, 2026.

UTMB has received Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education, placing us among a select group of organizations that meet the highest standards for team-based education. Dr. Erin McGoff has transitioned to serve full-time in her role as Director of IPCE.

I am delighted to announce Kristen Starnes-Ott, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FNAP, will serve as Dean ad interim of the UTMB School of Nursing (SON), effective January 17, 2026.

I am excited to share that we have named a Director of Wellness for the Academic Enterprise. Please join me in welcoming Julie Griffith, MPH, who will begin her new role at UTMB on Jan. 20, 2026.

David L. Vines, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FCCP, will serve as Senior Vice President and Dean, holding the Catherine L. Scholl, MD Distinguished Chair in Health Professions, effective Jan. 20, 2026.

Deborah J. Jones, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, will depart UTMB to take on an exciting and significant new role as President of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions. Her last day at UTMB will be Jan. 16, 2026.

I am pleased to announce that Abbey Berenson, MD, PhD, has accepted the new role of Vice Dean for Research at the John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM), effective December 1, 2025.

I am pleased to announce that Zbigniew Gugala, MD, PhD, has accepted the new role of Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Career Advising at the John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM), effective Nov. 1, 2025.

Erez Lieberman Aiden, PhD, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, effective Aug. 12, 2025. He will also serve as Professor of BioSciences at Rice University, strengthening ties between our institutions.

Dr. Roberto Garofalo and Dr. Heather Stevenson-Lerner were appointed as the new co-directors of the MD-PhD Program at UTMB. Their combined leadership marks an exciting new phase in the development of a program that plays a vital role in the life of our academic medical center.

Melissa (Missy) Morrow, PhD, has been appointed Director of the Sealy Center on Aging at The University of Texas Medical Branch. A distinguished scientist, mentor, and leader in the field of rehabilitation research, Dr. Morrow brings a wealth of expertise to her new role.

Neil Mehta, PhD, MSc, MA, was named the Inaugural Chair of the Department of Epidemiology, SPPH, effective July 1. Dr. Mehta also serves as the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Public and Population Health as well as the Director for the newly established UTMB Center for Health and Clinical Outcomes Research.

Salim Hayek, MD, has been named Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine in the John Sealy School of Medicine, effective July 1. As a board-certified cardiologist, NIH-funded physician-scientist, and nationally recognized leader in academic medicine, Dr. Hayek brings to this position a remarkable blend of clinical insight, research excellence, and operational leadership.