Dear colleagues, 

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.

Dr. Berenson is a tenured Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and holds the Garland D. Anderson MD Distinguished University Chair in Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is also Director of the UTMB Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women’s Health (CIRWH).

Dr. Berenson joined UTMB in 1989, after completing her MD and residency at Baylor College of Medicine. She also trained in pediatric gynecology in London, England and obtained a PhD in Population Science and MMS in Epidemiology from UTMB. Dr. Berenson was promoted to Professor in 1998, and in 2002, appointed as the founding Director of CIRWH. As a pediatric gynecologist, her career has focused on understanding and improving the health of female children and adolescents. Her studies have resulted in more than 270 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Berenson’s research has not only helped to shape U.S. public health policies, but her participation in CDC panels and FDA advisory committees also helped establish U.S. guidelines for contraceptive management.

Matching her commitment to research, Dr. Berenson has devoted her career to the success of junior faculty. She has continuously served as the PI of UTMB’s longest-running NIH-funded K12 training program, “Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH),” since 2005. This program has trained more than 30 UTMB faculty members, including many who now hold leadership positions. She has also personally mentored over 50 junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, and graduate students from various fields, including obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychology, epidemiology, and nutrition/health behavior. These mentees have also found success in academia and/or medicine. In recognition of her achievements, Dr. Berenson was recently awarded the 2025 UTMB Lifetime Achievement in Research Award.

In her new role, Dr. Berenson will work closely with me, serving as a senior advisor on aspects of research strategy to enhance biomedical research across the JSSOM.  Her responsibilities will include advocating for interdisciplinary research, fostering collaborations within and beyond the university, and promoting a climate of research excellence while ensuring alignment with institutional and national standards. She will be a key liaison with other JSSOM leaders and across UTMB, including promoting pathways to develop and lead the physician scientist training program.