Dr. Fox named to key research post for College of Medicine

Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.

Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D., has been named senior associate dean for research and development in the UNMC College of Medicine.

The appointment, which was effective July 1, was announced today by Rod Markin, M.D., Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Medicine.

Dr. Fox assumes the position from Surinder Batra, Ph.D., who was appointed chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology last September.

“Dr. Fox is one of our star researchers. His experience and knowledge make him a perfect fit for this position,” Dr. Markin said. “I have complete confidence that he will make things happen and strengthen our research enterprise. At the same time, I want to salute Dr. Batra for all his efforts. He did an excellent job as senior associate dean, but he now needs to focus on running his department.”

Dr. Fox joined UNMC in 2008 as professor and executive vice chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience.

Another activity Dr. Fox also is involved in the UNMC High School Alliance, a new project that will bring 36 high school students from 17 area high schools to UNMC this fall. The program will be an important vehicle to motivate students to pursue careers in health care.

In 2009, he was named director for the Center for Integrative and Translational Neuroscience, which is focused on taking research from the bench to the bedside.

“I moved here due to my excitement about the current research at UNMC and the opportunities for growth,” he said. “Interdisciplinary and translational work can be challenging but have great rewards. They represent the key focus areas of my efforts in this new role.”

A seasoned researcher, Dr. Fox’s research deals with disease pathogenesis. His primary focus has been with HIV/AIDS research. He currently is principal investigator on four grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a program project and a center grant.