Message from the Chair

Max Wintermark, MD, MAS, FASFNR, FICIS

 

Welcome to the Department of Radiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Since its founding in 1891, UTMB has held a singular place in the history of American medicine. Established as the first medical school in Texas and among the earliest public academic health centers in the nation, UTMB was built on a mission of service, discovery, and education that continues to define us today. For more than 130 years, generations of physicians, scientists, and health care leaders have trained within the walls of this institution, carrying the spirit of UTMB across Texas, the nation, and the world.

Radiology has been part of that tradition almost from the beginning. The first documented medical use of x-rays in Galveston occurred in 1897, only two years after Roentgen’s discovery of the x-ray itself. Our Department of Radiology was formally established in 1916 and has since trained generations of distinguished radiologists, educators, researchers, and departmental leaders who have shaped the specialty across academic medicine and private practice alike.

Today, our department stands on that remarkable foundation while embracing the future of radiology with ambition and purpose. We are committed first and foremost to clinical excellence: delivering the highest quality imaging and image-guided care with compassion, precision, safety, and accountability. Every examination, every procedure, and every patient interaction reflects our dedication to quality and service across the UTMB Health system.

Education remains central to our mission. We are proud of our expanding residency and fellowship programs and of the extraordinary trainees who choose UTMB for their professional journey. Our goal is not simply to produce excellent interpreters of imaging studies, but to train complete radiologists—physicians who combine diagnostic expertise with clinical judgment, professionalism, communication, leadership, and humanity. We are equally committed to developing the next generation of physician-scientists, innovators, and academic leaders who will define the future of radiology.

Our department is also entering an exciting period of growth in research and innovation. We are building multidisciplinary programs that leverage imaging science to advance human health, with particular emphasis on neuroimaging and brain health, theranostics, molecular imaging, and image-guided interventions. By integrating advanced imaging technologies, translational science, data science, and clinical collaboration, we seek to transform how disease is detected, characterized, monitored, and treated.

As Chair, I believe the greatest strength of UTMB Radiology is its people: our faculty, trainees, technologists, nurses, physicists, researchers, and staff, all united by a culture of collegiality, curiosity, and service. Together, we honor the extraordinary legacy of this institution while building a department prepared to lead radiology into its next era.

Thank you for visiting our department. We invite you to learn more about our clinical programs, educational opportunities, research initiatives, and the vibrant community that makes UTMB Radiology such a special place.

Sincerely,

Max Wintermark, MD, MAS, FASFNR, FICIS
Professor and Chair of Radiology
The University of Texas Medical Branch 

 

Dr. Max Wintermark, Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). He is internationally recognized for his expertise in neuroradiology, stroke imaging, and advanced neuroimaging research. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Wintermark has contributed extensively to clinical innovation, education, and scientific advancement in radiology, with numerous publications and leadership roles in national and international organizations.

 

 


BICE-sticker
UTMB's Department of Radiology is accredited by the American College of Radiology in: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
Computed Tomography (CT), Nuclear Medicine, and Ultrasound. It is also recognized as a Center of Excellence for Breast Imaging.