Holder of the:

• Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering

Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D., an expert in molecular imaging and its application in treating human diseases, became the inaugural Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in February 2022.

Dr. Achilefu joined UT Southwestern from the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he was the Michel M. Ter-Pogossian Professor of Radiology and Professor of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics. He served as Director of the Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotherapy, Center for Molecular Imaging, and Optical Radiology Lab.

Dr. Achilefu pioneered the design and use of innovative fluorescent materials and systems for cancer imaging. His seminal work resulted in the clinical translation of a method to identify and treat most cancer types, especially breast tumors. He also developed a wearable cancer-imaging goggle system that highlights cancer cells, providing real-time guidance to surgeons in the operating room to ensure the complete removal of cancerous tissue.

His work has earned national and international recognition, including the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research, and the Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award from the International Society for Optics and Photonics Engineers-SPIE. A fellow of eight professional societies, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2021.

He earned a doctorate in chemistry and materials science from the University of Nancy in France and completed postdoctoral training in oxygen transport in biological systems and hematological science at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Holder of the:

• Patrick E. Haggerty Distinguished Chair in Basic Biomedical Science

Gaudenz Danuser, Ph.D., was named Chair of the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics in June 2015. Before joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2014, Dr. Danuser directed research laboratories at ETH Zurich, The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and Harvard Medical School.

Originally trained as an engineer, Dr. Danuser’s cell biology research now focuses on the question of how chemical and mechanical signals integrate in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics and membrane trafficking. With his appointment as a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) Scholar, Dr. Danuser has redirected his research toward understanding how mechanical and chemical cell shape regulation impacts the migration and survival of the metastatic cell. To address these questions, his lab uses quantitative imaging methods to probe the processes and mathematical modeling to compile the data.

Dr. Danuser received his advanced degree and Ph.D. from ETH Zurich in Switzerland in engineering and computer science, both with distinction.

Holder of the:

• Julie and Louis A. Beecherl, Jr. Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Research
• Regental Professorship
• Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine

Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D., and his colleague Michael S. Brown, M.D., have worked together for the last 30 years on the genetics and regulation of cholesterol metabolism. Their discovery of the LDL receptor as the major molecule regulating cholesterol metabolism and its genetic disruption in the human disease familial hypercholesterolemia has been recognized by their receipt of numerous awards, including the Albert D. Lasker Award in Basic Medical Research, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and the U.S. National Medal of Science. More recently, Drs. Goldstein and Brown’s discovery of the SREBP family of membrane-bound transcription factors, and the elucidation of the proteolytic pathway by which the SREBPs become activated to regulate lipid metabolism, earned them the Albany Medical Prize in Biomedical Sciences in 2003.

Dr. Goldstein is a former President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, a former member of the Governing Council of the National Academy of Sciences, a Non-Resident Fellow of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Currently, Dr. Goldstein is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Rockefeller University and the Board of Trustees of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and serves on several scientific advisory boards for academic institutions and biotechnology companies. He is also Chair of the Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards Jury.

Holder of the:

• Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Immunology

Lora V. Hooper, Ph.D., whose research into the interactions between the microbiota and the immune system is internationally recognized, became Chair of the Department of Immunology in September 2016. She also directs the Walter M. and Helen D. Bader Center for Research on Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases.

Dr. Hooper earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology in 1996 at Washington University in St. Louis, and as a postdoctoral researcher there, performed groundbreaking work in host-microbial interactions. Dr. Hooper joined the faculty of UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2003 and became an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2008.

She was awarded the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine from the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas in 2013, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2015.

Holder of the:

• Raymond and Ellen Willie Distinguished Chair in Molecular Neuropharmacology in Honor of Harold B. Crasilneck, Ph.D.
• Alfred G. Gilman Distinguished Chair in Pharmacology

David J. Mangelsdorf, Ph.D., follows the science. This philosophy has led to significant discovery, including the receptors LXR and FXR, which work together to control lipid metabolism. Pharmaceuticals targeting these receptors to treat obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are now in development. Intrigued by the absence of findings for orphan nuclear receptors in invertebrates, Dr. Mangelsdorf focused on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). He discovered a nuclear receptor (DAF-12) that controls development and then determined that the worm does not produce the ligand that triggers development, but instead receives it from its host.

In his inaugural article as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Mangelsdorf revealed how steroid ligands of DAF-12 disrupt the development of threadworms, demonstrating the receptor’s potential as a therapeutic target. Dr. Mangelsdorf is the recipient of numerous awards, including the John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology.

He received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Arizona at Tucson and completed postdoctoral studies at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Holder of the:

• Annie and Willie Nelson Professorship in Stem Cell Research
• Pogue Distinguished Chair in Research on Cardiac Birth Defects
• Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Science

The pioneering work of Eric N. Olson, Ph.D., regarded as a major step in finding genetic targets for the treatment of congenital heart defects and adult heart disease, has illuminated the fundamental principles of organ formation and has demonstrated that many of the genes that control heart formation are called into play in the adult heart under pathological stress. Most recently, Dr. Olson has turned his attention to microRNAs, which are recognized to activate cell functions.

He is a recipient of the Institut de France Lefoulon-Delalande Foundation Grand Prize and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Olson serves as the Director of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, and as a consultant to miRagen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that he co-founded.

He received his doctorate in biochemistry from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University.

Holder of the:

• Fouad A. and Val Imm Bashour Distinguished Chair in Physiology

Internationally recognized researcher Duojia (DJ) Pan, Ph.D., joined UT Southwestern Medical Center in June 2016 as Chair of the Department of Physiology. Dr. Pan discovered the “Hippo” pathway of intracellular signaling that controls organ size in animals. Deviations in Hippo signaling give rise to cellular hyperplasia, which leads to hippopotamus-sized organs.

Dr. Pan was a member of the Physiology faculty at UT Southwestern from 1997 to 2004. From 2004 until 2016, he was on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he most recently was Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics. While at Johns Hopkins, he became a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Peking University, his Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles, and completed postdoctoral studies at University of California, Berkeley.

Holder of the:

• B.B. Owen Distinguished Chair in Molecular Research and the Nadine and Tom Craddick Distinguished Chair in Medical Sciences

Julie Pfeiffer, Ph.D., joined UT Southwestern in 2006. Upon establishing her laboratory, she studied whether bacteria in the gut could influence viral infection. This focus was a departure from traditional lines of study on bacteria or viruses as separate entities. Dr. Pfeiffer brought together virologists, immunologists, and bacteriologists, laying the foundation for a new discipline in microbiology, now known as trans-kingdom interaction. This effort led to her discovery that bacteria in the gut promote viral infection and opened new possibilities to utilize available drugs for bacterial infections to limit viral infections.

Dr. Pfeiffer has been recognized with honors, including UT Southwestern’s Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award (2022) and the O’Donnell Award in Science (2019) from the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST).

Dr. Pfeiffer’s scientific expertise, multidisciplinary approach, and leadership record will continue the Department of Microbiology’s tradition of excellence, while championing meaningful collaborations and fostering scientific breakthroughs.

Holder of the:

• Sam G. Winstead and F. Andrew Bell Distinguished Chair in Biochemistry

Margaret Phillips, Ph.D., a widely respected researcher in biochemistry and drug discovery in parasitic protozoa, became Chair of the Department of Biochemistry in September 2016. Since joining UT Southwestern as an Assistant Professor in 1992, Dr. Phillips has emerged as one of the leading international authorities on drug development for the treatment of parasitic diseases, including malaria and African sleeping sickness.

The potential impact of her work is widely recognized. She received the Medicines for Malaria Venture Project of the Year in 2011 for her work in structure-guided drug design in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She also has been supported by a National Institute of Health Merit Award and a Burroughs Wellcome Scholar Award in Molecular Parasitology.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis in 1981 and her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of California, San Francisco in 1988, where she began her work on African sleeping sickness. Dr. Phillips was then a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF until 1992, when she moved to UT Southwestern.

Holder of the:

• Virginia and Edward Linthicum Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Science

William A. Prinz, Ph.D., an acclaimed researcher in organelle biogenesis, joined UT Southwestern in November 2022 as Chair of the Department of Cell Biology.

Previously, Dr. Prinz spent 21 years at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, where he served as Chief of the Lipid Trafficking and Organelle Biogenesis Section in the Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology.

Organelle biogenesis is the process by which new structures within a living cell are made and how membrane contact sites and lipids affect the ability of a cell to maintain stable internal conditions upon changes in its extracellular environment. Defects in lipid metabolism and organelle biogenesis are associated with numerous diseases. By gaining insight into the basic processes in cells, Dr. Prinz is committed to furthering the understanding of how defects in these areas contribute to human disease.

Among his notable scientific accomplishments, he discovered the structure and function of oxysterol-binding protein related-proteins (ORPs), a large, conserved family of lipid-binding proteins that play a role in keeping lipid balance and reside at membrane contact sites. Dr. Prinz found that ORPs bind cholesterol and other sterols in a water-repelling pocket and can transport sterols between membranes both in vitro and in cells. He also discovered where they reside and one of the ways ORPs operate.

Dr. Prinz earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Vassar College, then pursued graduate studies in philosophy at Columbia University. He earned his doctorate in microbiology and molecular genetics at Harvard University, where he also completed postdoctoral studies in cell biology.

Holder of the:

• Mar Nell and F. Andrew Bell Distinguished Chair in Biochemistry

Michael Rosen, Ph.D., was named Chair of the Department of Biophysics in April 2012. A member of the UT Southwestern Medical Center faculty since 2002, he was named an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2005. His research is aimed at understanding the physical mechanisms and biological consequences of macromolecular phase separation.

Before joining UT Southwestern, Dr. Rosen was an Associate Member of the Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics Program at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Structural Biology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

He holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University and a Certificate of Postgraduate Study in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge in England. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Holder of the:

• Loyd B. Sands Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience

An elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, Joseph Takahashi, Ph.D., identified the first circadian rhythm gene in mammals, the mouse gene CLOCK, followed by the discovery of eight other mammalian circadian genes. More recently, Dr. Takahashi cloned the gene responsible for the tau mutation in hamsters, which shortens the daily cycle from 24 to 20 hours, a discovery he views as his most significant. Utilizing forward genetic approaches in the mouse as a tool for gene discovery, the Takahashi Laboratory continues to research the mechanisms of circadian rhythms in mammals as a means to understanding how the brain controls behavior.

Dr. Takahashi is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a former President of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, and he serves as an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Oregon and completed postdoctoral studies in pharmacology at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Holder of the:

• Robert L. Moore Chair in Pediatrics

Jorge A. Bezerra, M.D., an expert in pediatric liver diseases, joined UT Southwestern in October 2022 as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. He also serves as Pediatrician-In-Chief at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Previously, Dr. Bezerra was Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and Medical Director of the Pediatric Liver Care Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). He also was Director of the Cincinnati Digestive Health Center, a Research Core Center funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to advance digestive disease research at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

During his 28-year career at CCHMC, Dr. Bezerra cared for children with liver disease and led research and clinical trials with the goal of developing innovative diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions to improve the care of children suffering from these disorders. His research program investigates regulatory mechanisms of liver and biliary injury, focusing on preclinical and translational research on biliary atresia, the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children.

He is an elected member of the American Pediatric Society, American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians. His record of service at leading national organizations includes being a Councilor on the Governing Board of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, which he served as President in 2020, and the Board of Scientific Councilors of the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, which he chaired in 2021-2022.

Dr. Bezerra earned his medical degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte School of Medicine in Brazil and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. He completed clinical and research fellowships in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at CCHMC.

Holder of the:

• Dr. Charles F. Gregory Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery

As a practicing orthopaedic surgeon known for exceptional patient care, Dr. Chen specializes in hip and knee replacements. As a clinician scientist, she studies clinical outcomes after total hip and knee replacements, including preoperative patient optimization to reduce infection risk, activity after joint replacement, infection after surgery, and joint stiffness. She also collaborates with research scientists in laboratories across Harvard Medical School investigating issues related to joint arthroplasty.

Dr. Chen has published extensively on a wide range of topics ranging from the complex microbiome of periprosthetic joint infections to the sociological determinants of surgical quality of care. Her effectiveness as an educator has been recognized with multiple awards including the 2023 Outstanding Mentor Award from Mass General Brigham and the 2021 Excellence in Student Mentoring Award from Harvard Medical School.

She is a sought-after leader in her field and active in professional organizations around the world such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, the European Knee Association, and the American Joint Replacement Registry. She is currently the 2nd Vice President in the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons presidential line.

Prior to joining UT Southwestern, Dr. Chen was at Harvard Medical School where she served as Chief of Arthroplasty and Joint Reconstruction and Director of Research of Arthroplasty Services in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Chen has an M.B.A. from Rutgers Business School. She obtained her medical degree from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Following her residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Chen continued her post-doctoral training with a fellowship in hip and knee arthroplasty at the Rothman Institute.

Holder of the:

• Audre and Bernard Rapoport Distinguished Chair in Clinical Care and Research

A nationally recognized leader, Deborah Diercks, M.D., joined UT Southwestern in June 2014 as the founding Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. An exceptional physician, researcher, and educator, she leads the Emergency Medicine program at Parkland Hospital and UT Southwestern University Hospitals, which constitute one of the nation’s largest emergency medical programs.

Dr. Diercks joined University of California, Davis, in 1998 and was a major contributor to the growth and development of its emergency medicine programs. She has held positions within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, including its Board of Directors, and is a Senior Associate Editor of the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Diercks’ research focuses on early management of acute coronary syndromes, the influence of gender on symptom characteristics, and utilization of cardiac biomarkers.

She graduated from University of California, Berkeley, and earned her medical degree from Tufts University. She served a residency at University of Cincinnati and earned a master’s degree from Harvard School of Public Health.

Holder of the:

• David Bruton, Jr. Chair in Ophthalmology

J. William Harbour, M.D., joined UT Southwestern as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in November 2021. Previously he was at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he served as Director of Ocular Oncology, Vice Chair for Translational Research at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Associate Director for Basic Science at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a member of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute. He also served as Professor of Ophthalmology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology.

Dr. Harbour is the principal investigator of multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health designed to improve testing and treatment of eye cancers. A major theme of his research is to elucidate the key genetic and epigenetic events associated with tumor progression and metastasis in uveal melanoma (UM) and retinoblastoma, the most common eye cancers in adults and children, respectively.

His lab discovered a gene expression profile that predicts patient outcome in UM that is now the industry standard. He has developed new surgical methods for intraocular biopsy, radioactive plaque surgery, and vitrectomy in eyes with intraocular tumors.

He earned his bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University and his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. After residency at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, he completed a fellowship in retinal surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, and a fellowship in ocular oncology at the University of California, San Francisco. He then pursued a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer research at Washington University in St. Louis.

Holder of the:

• Frank M. Ryburn, Jr., Distinguished Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation

Michael E. Jessen, M.D., has dedicated his career to the study of myocardial metabolism and the biochemistry of myocardial protection. His lab today continues to examine myocardial metabolism, as well as the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. He and his team are working to develop a perfusion preservation device for long-term cardiac preservation for transplantation.

Dr. Jessen also maintains an active clinical practice focusing on cardiac surgery, surgical electrophysiology, aortic surgery, and cardiac transplantation.

He received his medical degree and completed his residency training in general surgery at the University of Manitoba School of Medicine in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He completed his residency in thoracic surgery at Duke University Medical Center.

Holder of the:

• Betty and Warren Woodward Chair in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Rod J. Rohrich, M.D., Distinguished Professorship in Wound Healing and Plastic Surgery

Jeffrey M. Kenkel, M.D., FACS, was named Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery in September 2015, after having served as Interim Chair since July 2014. An expert and leading authority in ultrasound assisted liposuction (UAL), Dr. Kenkel remains actively involved in the education of plastic surgeons around the country, speaking about cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. He was integral in teaching UAL to plastic surgeons throughout the world, serving as a faculty member and chair of numerous teaching courses. Dr. Kenkel serves as Director of the Clinical Center for Cosmetic Laser Treatment and Chief of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern University Hospitals.

He received his undergraduate education at Boston College and his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. After completing his general surgery residency at Georgetown, he obtained his plastic surgery training at UT Southwestern, graduating in 1996.

Holder of the:

• Kimberly-Clark Distinguished Chair in Mobility Research

Heakyung Kim, M.D., joined UT Southwestern in May 2022 as Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Her body of research focuses on spasticity management, robotic therapy, and exercise for weak muscles in children with cerebral palsy. Dr. Kim also is studying quality of life for adults with cerebral palsy. An expert in single event multilevel chemoneurolysis with botulinum toxin and phenol or alcohol, she led the development of the Spasticity Management Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that decreased orthopedic surgery by 70% for children with cerebral palsy. Dr. Kim established a multidisciplinary drooling management program with botulinum toxin injections to the salivary gland, which prevented repeat pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions of children with frequent aspiration pneumonia and decreased PICU length of stay. She also led an interdisciplinary team that built a life span-care model for individuals with cerebral palsy.

Dr. Kim earned her M.D. from Ewha Womans University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, and trained in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul. After completing her combined pediatric and PM&R residency at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences in New Jersey, she joined the faculty at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, serving as Medical Director of the Cerebral Palsy Clinic and Section of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Before joining UT Southwestern, Dr. Kim was at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she served as Vice Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Director of Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Fellowship Program Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, and Associate Director of Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center.

Holder of the:

• Linda and Mitch Hart Distinguished Chair in Neurology

Elan Louis, M.D., M.S., joined UT Southwestern as Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics in April 2020.

Dr. Louis previously served at the Yale School of Medicine, where he was Professor of Neurology and of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases), Chief of the Division of Movement Disorders, Associate Chair for Outpatient Research in Neurology, and founding co-Director of the Center for Neuroepidemiology and Clinical Neurological Research. Prior to Yale, Dr. Louis was Professor of Neurology at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he was Associate Chairman for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development.

Considered by many to be the leading scholar in the world on essential tremor (ET) and other tremor disorders, Dr. Louis has conducted pioneering investigations to uncover significant new knowledge on the epidemiology, genetics, and underlying pathology of ET, one of the most common neurological disorders.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Louis earned his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He completed his neurology residency at The Neurological Institute of New York at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, followed by fellowships in movement disorders and neuroepidemiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Louis has authored articles in more than 700 peer-reviewed scientific publications, book chapters, reviews, and case reports, and he serves on the editorial board of more than 10 scientific journals.

As Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, Dr. Louis works with colleagues in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute to enhance programmatic development for various neurological conditions.

Holder of the:

• Senator Betty and Dr. Andy Andujar Distinguished Chairmanship of Pathology

James S. Malter, M.D., is an internationally acclaimed pathologist with specific expertise in inflammatory signaling and immune and neuronal cell function. Dr. Malter has distinguished himself by his ability to merge basic and clinical sciences in pathology in a creative fashion and to great effect. The results of his research studies have been presented in more than 100 scientific publications and led to his selection for membership in the American Society for Investigative Pathology and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Prior to joining the UT Southwestern Medical Center faculty, he served as Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and as Associate Director for Biological Sciences of the Waisman Center for Developmental Disabilities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A graduate of Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Malter subsequently received his training in pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Holder of the:

• Arthur E. Meyerhoff Chair in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Bradley F. Marple, M.D., a leading expert in rhinology and sinus disease, was named Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in October 2014. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Dr. Marple completed his residency training in otolaryngology at UT Southwestern and joined the faculty in 1994. During his tenure at UT Southwestern, Dr. Marple served as Vice Chair of Otolaryngology for nearly 15 years and was appointed Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education in 2011.

He currently holds national leadership positions with the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA), the American Rhinologic Society, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology. The author of more than 140 papers, Dr. Marple’s research interests focus on intranasal inflammation and allergic fungal sinusitis.

Holder of the:

• Mary Kay Inc. Distinguished Chair in Dermatology

Prior to coming to UT Southwestern in 2023, Joseph F. Merola, M.D., M.MSc., was a Vice Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology and Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He served as the Vice Chair for Clinical Trials and Innovation, the Founding Director of the Clinical Unit for Research Innovation and Trials (CUReIT), Director of the Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases, and the Associate Program Director for the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine-Dermatology Residency Training Program at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Merola earned his medical degree at the New York University School of Medicine and his Master of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. He completed an internship in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, followed by a residency in dermatology at the New York University Medical Center, where he was Chief Resident. He continued with a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Named one of Boston’s Top Doctors every year for nearly a decade, Dr. Merola is an international expert in inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, namely psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and connective tissue diseases including lupus and dermatomyositis.

Dr. Merola is one of only a handful of physicians in the country who are triple board-certified in dermatology, internal medicine, and rheumatology.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Merola is the Director of Clinical Trials and Innovation and continues clinical translational research in inflammatory and autoimmune skin disease, pharmacoepidemiology, and the development of novel outcome measures, including digital health measures for use in both clinical research and clinical care.

Dr. Merola was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), is the Founding President of the Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network (PPACMAN), is on the scientific and medical boards of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), the Board of the International Dermatology Outcome Measures Group, and is President-Elect of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA). He serves on the Board of the American Skin Association, and is on the Medical and Scientific Board of the Lupus Foundation of America. He is also a past President of the Medical Dermatology Society and is President-Elect of the Rheumatology-Dermatology Society. He is a councilor for the International Eczema Council as well as the International Psoriasis Council. He has served on multiple committees including the AAD Guidelines Committee.

Dr. Merola has published more than 340 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous awards including the NPF’s Outstanding Educator Award, the Winter Clinical Educator of the Year Award, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Distinguished Clinician Award, the Mass General Brigham Pillar Award in Research Leadership, and many other research, mentorship, and leadership awards. He will be honored in 2024 at the National Psoriasis Foundation’s Commit to a Cure Gala in Dallas.

Professor and Chair, Department of Radiology

Holder of the:

• Effie and Wofford Cain Distinguished Chair in Diagnostic Imaging

Martin G. Pomper, M.D., Ph.D., joined UT Southwestern as Chair of the Department of Radiology in December 2023.

As a physician-scientist, Dr. Pomper has focused his research interests on the development of imaging agents for positron emission tomography (PET) in cancer and central nervous system diseases and – in relevant cases – the corresponding molecular radiotherapeutics (theranostics). Dr. Pomper’s laboratory developed the initial small molecules designed to target the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), the scaffolds of which have been used worldwide for imaging and therapy of prostate and other cancers.

In 2017, Dr. Pomper was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for his work in imaging sciences, and in 2021 he was elected to the National Academy of Inventors in part for his work leading to FDA approval of PYLARIFY® for imaging prostate cancer.

Before coming to UT Southwestern, Dr. Pomper served at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science, Director of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Associate Dean of Entrepreneurship and Technology Development, and Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Translational Molecular Imaging. He was also a faculty member in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

Dr. Pomper earned his medical degree and Ph.D. in organic chemistry as part of the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He completed an internship, residencies in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, and a fellowship in neuroradiology at Johns Hopkins.

Professor and Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery

Holder of the:

• Lois C.A. and Darwin E. Smith Distinguished Chair in Neurological Surgery

Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., became Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery in April 2021. Dr. Pouratian is the Principal Investigator of multiple NIH grants, investigating basic human neuroscientific principles of movement regulation and illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, depression, disorders of consciousness, cardiac disease, and blindness. He led a first-in-human clinical trial to provide artificial vision for the blind using a novel brain stimulator. His research uses advanced imaging and intracranial recordings in humans to understand the network basis of neuropsychiatric disease and to develop targeted therapeutic brain stimulation and other advanced neurotechnologies.

Dr. Pouratian joined the faculty at UCLA in 2009, became a Vice Chair of Neurosurgery in 2016, and a Professor of Neurosurgery in 2019. He earned his combined medical and Ph.D. degrees in Neuroscience from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completed his neurosurgical residency and functional neurosurgery fellowship at the University of Virginia.

Holder of the:

• Stanton Sharp Distinguished Chair in Psychiatry
• Secondary appointment in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

Dr. Rajji undertook undergraduate studies and obtained his medical degree at the American University of Beirut. He then completed a residency in general psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center and continued his training as a fellow in psychiatric research and neuroscience sponsored by the VA North Texas Health Care System and UT Southwestern. He pursued further training in geriatric psychiatry with a clinical fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh and a research fellowship at the University of Toronto.

His research has focused on neuroplasticity and cognition in older patients with mental illness and neurocognitive diseases. To improve cognition in older adults with dementia or at risk for dementia, he combines brain stimulation, including transcranial magnetic and electrical stimulation, with cognitive, functional, and pharmacological modalities. He also studies standardization of care for patients with dementia. He has led multiple clinical trials with older patients with depression, neurocognitive disorders, and schizophrenia funded by federal agencies such as Brain Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the US National Institute of Mental Health.

Prior to joining UTSW, Dr. Rajji was Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Division, and Executive Director of the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance at the University of Toronto. He also served as Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Affiliated with the University of Toronto, CAMH is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centers in the field.

Holder of the:

• E. E. Fogelson and Greer Garson Fogelson Distinguished Chair in Urology
• S.T. Harris Family Chair in Medical Science, in Honor of John D. McConnell, M.D.

After attending medical school in Giessen, Germany, Claus G. Roehrborn, M.D., began his residency in surgery and urology at the German Army Hospital in Giessen. He continued his urology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and joined the UT Southwestern Medical Center staff in 1992.

His research and clinical practice has focused on benign and malignant prostatic diseases throughout his career. In the 1990s he was involved in the first ever evidence-based guidelines on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the U.S., and he chaired committees at the World Health Organization-sponsored Consensus Conferences on BPH as well.

His more than 300 peer-reviewed publications are representative of his work in prostate cancer and male voiding dysfunction, and at present, Dr. Roehrborn’s research is focused in virtually all aspects of BPH research as well as translational and clinical research in prostate cancer. His clinical practice focuses on the management of localized as well as advanced prostate cancer and BPH, and he has established expertise and a large practice in robotic-assisted prostatectomies. 

Holder of the:

• Perry E. Gross, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Family Medicine

F. David Schneider, M.D., M.S.P.H., joined UT Southwestern in May 2017 as Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. He manages the growing clinical practices on the UT Southwestern campus and through our partnership with Texas Health Resources, develops extended sites for training and clinical care. He also leads initiatives in Population Health.

Dr. Schneider was Professor and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University from 2008 to 2017. He was also a faculty member at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio beginning in 1992 and rose to the rank of Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine before moving to St. Louis.

He attended Boston University for his undergraduate and medical training, and completed his Family Medicine residency at Duke University. He also earned a Master of Science in Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Holder of the:

• Paul C. MacDonald Distinguished Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Catherine Spong, M.D., became Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in September 2021. An expert in clinical trials and evidence-based care, Dr. Spong is particularly focused on optimizing pregnancy outcomes, including pregnant and lactating women in research, and eliminating health disparities. She chaired the Health and Human Services Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women. Her research focuses on medical care of pregnant and lactating women.

Prior to joining UT Southwestern in 2018, Dr. Spong had a 23-year career at the National Institutes of Health, including leading the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network – a multicenter network focused on trials in obstetrics. She led the NICHD as Deputy Director and Acting Director. She launched and directed initiatives to understand the human placenta, genomics of preterm birth, stillbirth, adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, and fetal surgery trials. The developing fetus is one of her major research areas, and she holds several patents for neuroprotective agents that help prevent fetal injury.

A specialist in prematurity, fetal complications, and improving outcomes in children, Dr. Spong’s clinical responsibilities include high-risk labor and delivery, the antepartum unit, extended care unit, and obstetric and gynecologic sonography.

She received her M.D. and bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Six Year Medical Program. Her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, including as Chief Resident, was at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; subsequently she completed a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Georgetown University.

Holder of the:

• Effie Marie Cain Distinguished Chair in Cancer Therapy Research

Robert Timmerman, M.D., whose research helped lead to the development of a method of delivering radiation that has transformed cancer treatment, became chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology in March 2022.

An expert in diseases of the central nervous system, including cancer of the brain, spine, and lung, Dr. Timmerman has championed the use of precise, noninvasive, radiosurgical tools that employ multiple angles to deliver radiation. This approach reduces the levels of toxicity, allowing patients to tolerate the treatment better with fewer side effects. Working with other researchers, he developed a method – known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) – that uses sophisticated image guidance and tracking to safely deliver radiation. This seminal contribution is widely regarded to have transformed the field of radiation oncology.

Dr. Timmerman joined UT Southwestern in 2004 as Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Annette Simmons Stereotactic Treatment Center. He has been Clinical Director of Radiation Oncology since 2014.

He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering and from University of Tennessee with a master’s degree in reactor physics. After finishing medical school at University of South Dakota, he completed a residency in radiation oncology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

He is a Fellow of both the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiology. In 2019, Dr. Timmerman received UT Southwestern’s Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., M.D. Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine.

Holder of the:

• Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine

Thomas J. Wang, M.D., joined UT Southwestern as Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine in February 2020.

Dr. Wang previously served as Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Vanderbilt University and as Physician-In-Chief of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute. He is internationally recognized for his clinical and translational research related to cardiovascular disease and metabolism. Specific areas of interest include the natriuretic peptide system, cardiovascular complications of obesity, and biomarker discovery.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Wang completed his residency and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He spent the following decade there directing the heart failure disease management program and was Associate Director of the Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Program.

He has held a number of national leadership positions, including President of the Association of Professors of Cardiology. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians.

Holder of the:

• Margaret Milam McDermott Distinguished Chair in Anesthesiology and Pain Management

After graduating from Southern Methodist University with a degree in electrical engineering with a specialization in biomechanical engineering, Charles Whitten, M.D., stayed in Dallas to attend UT Southwestern Medical School. That choice has led to a distinguished career at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and he continues to make significant contributions to the field of anesthesiology. Dr. Whitten’s research interests include the economics of academic practice, perioperative coagulation abnormalities, and perioperative inflammatory responses. Since 1994, Dr. Whitten has served as an examiner for The American Board of Anesthesiology.

Holder of the:

• Dr. Charles F. Gregory Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery

Dane Wukich, M.D., joined UT Southwestern Medical Center in June 2016 as Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is recognized internationally for his outstanding accomplishments as a physician, educator, and leader, and is well known for his work in limb salvage and management of diabetes-related complications.

Dr. Wukich came to UT Southwestern from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he was Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, Chief of the Division of Foot and Ankle Surgery, and Medical Director of the UPMC Mercy Center for Healing and Amputation Prevention and the Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center.

A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, he completed residency training in Orthopaedic Surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and fellowship training in Foot and Ankle Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He was a surgeon in the Army Medical Corps, achieving the rank of Major and directing orthopaedic surgery in a mobile Army surgical unit in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Holder of the:

• Mary Kay Inc. Distinguished Chair in Dermatology

A distinguished researcher and professor in the areas of dermatologic immunology and diagnostic lab immunology, Kim B. Yancey, M.D., became Chair of the Department of Dermatology in 2007. Dr. Yancey is the recipient of the Marion Sulzberger Award, given in recognition of significant contributions to clinical medicine through research, and currently serves as President of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Dermatology Branch of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Chair, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine

Holder of the:

• Margo A. Denke, M.D. Professorship in Clinical Nutrition Research

Jeffrey D. Browning, M.D., attended the University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry in 1994. He then attended UT Southwestern Medical School from 1994-1998 and completed internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham in 2001. Upon completion of residency, Dr. Browning returned to UT Southwestern for additional training in Hepatology and Gastroenterology (2001-2003).

He was a National Institutes of Health research fellow (2003-2005) and established a research program utilizing stable isotope tracers and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study hepatic metabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This research program led to recognition as a UTSW Disease Oriented Clinical Scholar. He has been on faculty at UTSW since 2005 and obtained the title of Associate Professor with tenure in 2012.

Chair and Program Director, Physician Assistant Studies and Professor of Internal Medicine

Holder of the:

• P. Eugene Jones, Ph.D., PA-C Professorship in Physician Assistant Studies

Temple Howell-Stampley, M.D., M.B.A., FACP, was named Chair and Program Director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies in July 2017. A graduate of East Carolina University School of Medicine, Dr. Howell-Stampley completed her residency in Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern and joined the faculty in 1997.

As a faculty member, Dr. Howell-Stampley has built a productive primary care practice, while teaching and supervising medical students, physician assistant students, nurse practitioner students, and residents in training. She served as Medical Director of the General Internal Medicine Clinic from 2009-2017 and successfully led the General Internal Medicine ambulatory practice in its efforts to become patient-centered and focused on providing high quality, evidence based medical care.

Dr. Howell-Stampley serves on numerous institutional committees and her interests include organizational optimization through implementation of team-based care models that emphasize the critical role of Advanced Practice Providers in successful health care delivery systems. She is also an active physician leader in numerous state and local organizations, including the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians and the Dallas County Medical Society.

Chair and Professor, Department of Physical Therapy

Holder of the:

• Doris E. Porter Professorship in Physical Therapy

Ross Querry, Ph.D., P.T., was named Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy in 2017. A member of the UT Southwestern faculty since 2001, Dr. Querry has made clinical and leadership contributions to the progressive growth of the outpatient clinical enterprise managed by the Department of Physical Therapy. In addition to teaching within the department, he contributes to clinical research in areas of technology and interventions for improving rehabilitation outcomes. Dr. Querry works closely with faculty to support and lead four advanced physical therapy specialty residencies that include cardiopulmonary, orthopedic, neurological, and sports specialty areas.

Dr. Querry received a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 1995 from the University of Texas at Arlington. He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science (Integrative Physiology) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1999. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship and earned a Master of Science in Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University in Dallas in 2001.

Professor, Associate Dean for Research, School of Health Professions and Chair, Department of Applied Clinical Research

Holder of the:

• Jere H. Mitchell Professorship in Clinical Research

Scott Smith, Ph.D., was named Associate Dean for Research in 2019 and Chair of the Department of Applied Clinical Research in 2020 for the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions. As Associate Dean, he oversees the school’s basic and clinical research program including project development, establishing collaborative partnerships, grant award planning and submission, and post-award management. In his role as Chair, he directs the Ph.D. program in Applied Clinical Research, which provides rigorous clinical research training for health professionals aspiring to pursue careers as independent clinician investigators. In both of these roles, his focus is on facilitating research growth and recognition for the School of Health Professions.

An NIH-funded researcher into the mechanisms underlying the development of autonomic dysfunction in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart failure, Dr. Smith has earned recognition from the American Physiological Society and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology/chemistry from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical science from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Internal Medicine/Cardiology at UT Southwestern in 2002 and joined the faculty of the School of Health Professions shortly after.

Dr. Smith received a Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Texas System in 2016. He also holds the title of Distinguished Teaching Professor at UT Southwestern and is a member of the Southwestern Academy of Teachers.