Academic Enterprise Announcements

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.

Michael B. Whitehead, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, has been named Chair of the Department of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies in the John Sealy School of Medicine. Dr. Whitehead has served as the Interim Chair since January 2025. A member of our PA faculty since March 2021, Dr. Whitehead served as Associate Program Director in the department prior to this appointment.

Matthew Hutter, MD, MPH, MBA, will join UTMB as Chair of the Department of Surgery in the John Sealy School of Medicine this September. Dr. Hutter is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the quality movement in surgery and in the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Richard (Rick) Pyles, PhD, and Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, FASN, have been appointed as Assistant Research Officers. Dr. Pyles will serve as the inaugural Assistant Research Officer for Research Development and Administration. Dr. Wadhwani will serve as the inaugural Assistant Research Officer for Clinical Research.

Rebekah Viner, MS, MBA, has been appointed Associate Vice President of Academic and Research Affairs in the Office of the Dean, John Sealy School of Medicine, effective May 1, 2025. Ms. Viner has been an integral member of the UTMB community for the past 15 years, consistently demonstrating outstanding leadership, professionalism, and commitment.

Brian K. Walsh, PhD, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS, RPFT, FAARC, has been appointed as the Chair of the Department of Respiratory Therapy, effective February 1, 2025. Dr. Walsh brings with him an impressive 29 years of experience in respiratory therapy and has been a significant asset to UTMB since 2022.

Janice Jones Endsley, PhD, has been named the next Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, effective March 1, 2025. An accomplished microbiologist, educator, and academic leader, Dr. Endsley has been an asset to the department for nearly two decades. She has the vision and experience necessary to lead its next chapter.

Mandy Hill, DrPH, MPH, has joined School of Public and Population Health as the inaugural Chair, Department of Population Health and Health Disparities. She has more than 20 years of research and experience in public health practice and a long history of NIH funding with a current R34 from the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Darpan Patel, PhD has been appointed as the School of Nursing's Vice Dean for Research and Scholarship. Dr. Patel joined our school in January 2023 as Assistant Dean for Translational Science and has served in the interim capacity for the Vice Dean for Research and Scholarship over the last seven months.