Finalists announced for MMI director

Four finalists have been named for the position of director of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute and will visit campus during the upcoming weeks.

“This opening has generated substantial national interest and yielded excellent applicants for this very important position,” said College of Nursing Dean Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., who led the 20-member search committee.

“We’ve been deeply committed to recruiting outstanding talent for this position, because we know finding the right person is vital to the future of MMI and the health and health care of the patients and families who benefit from the superb clinical care, cutting edge research, and outstanding training and educational programs underway at MMI.”

More information will be made available for candidates’ public presentations when details are finalized. The four finalists and their visit dates are:

  • Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and vice chair for research, department of psychiatry; associate director of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development; and senior fellow of Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education (VIIBRE) at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Mirnics will visit campus Dec. 1-2.
  • Pradeep G. Bhide, D.V.M., Ph.D., Jim and Betty Ann Rodgers Eminent Scholar Chair of Developmental Neuroscience, and director, Center for Brain Repair Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. Dr. Bhide will visit campus Dec. 10-11.
  • Gerald Bradley Schaefer, M.D., FAAP, FFACMG, founding director, division of medical genetics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; section chief, genetics and metabolism and “Committee for the Future” Endowed Professor of Pediatrics, at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Schaefer will visit campus Dec. 15-16.
  • Scott H. Kollins, Ph.D., professor, department of psychiatry & behavioral science, vice chair for research strategy and development in psychiatry; joint appointment with the department of psychology and neuroscience, and director, Duke ADHD Program at Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Kollins will visit campus Jan. 7-8.

Dates for their public presentations, as well as their curriculum vitaes, soon will be posted on the MMI director search website. The campus will be invited to provide feedback via the confidential survey form that will be added to the website prior to the presentations.

Mike Leibowitz, M.D., retired as MMI director in September after having served since May 2009. In all, Dr. Leibowitz spent more than 40 years at MMI in various capacities.