Vol. 19 | February 2023 – 5 minute read

Join the inaugural Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) class of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health and gain the skills to identify, predict, and address wide-scale health problems, and respond to public health emergencies.

The program offers concentrations in quantitative and data sciences, health promotion, structure, and agency, and health systems sciences. Applications are accepted through April 1, and classes begin in August 2023.

Areas of focus include:

• Disease prevention
• Burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
• Cancer epidemiology and prevention
• Disparities in health outcomes and health equity
• Social determinants of health
• Health care delivery research
• Implementation science

Check the Tuition Assistance Program policy to confirm you are eligible for tuition reimbursement. There is no application fee and the Graduate Record Examination (G.R.E.) is optional.

Newly Appointed Founding Dean

Saad B. Omer, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., has been appointed the founding Dean of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, effective June 1. He will hold the Lyda Hill Deanship for the School of Public Health.

“I look forward to joining the collaborative atmosphere at UT Southwestern and to bringing together the robust computational, scientific, and clinical expertise to apply to the important challenges faced in public health today,” said Dr. Omer. Read more. 

Women have shaped the history of UT Southwestern since its founding in 1943. That year, Gladys J. Fashena, M.D., one of our institution’s most distinguished faculty, was one of five women on campus. With women making up 45% of faculty and holding 66% of leadership positions across all missions, we’ve come a long way from those early days.

We recognize that gaps remain and demand our continued and consistent attention. But we have made progress and are working diligently to build gender diversity across departments and the University collectively.

UT Southwestern has nearly doubled the number of female faculty candidates for promotion and tenure since 2009. This has led to increasing numbers and percentages of female faculty members being promoted.

Female faculty appointments include seven vice presidents, eight department chairs, and three directors of endowed centers. Women holding dean titles – 14 currently – are up from 15% in 2015 to 33% in 2022, including our Vice Provost and Dean of Basic Research.

UTSW’s female faculty includes seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, four members of the National Academy of Medicine, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, three Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, and 74 who hold endowed chairs. Read more about Women at UT Southwestern.

Kim Orth, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Benjamin Tu, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, will lead separate teams as part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Emerging Pathogens Initiative. The $100 million initiative supports 13 teams of basic researchers investigating infectious diseases that could pose a threat to human health.

Dr. Orth will lead a team of six scientists researching virulence factors, cellular structures, molecules, and regulatory systems that microbial invaders use to sicken human hosts. Dr. Tu and colleagues at UCLA, California Institute of Technology, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will search for natural products that could be used to fight emerging pathogens. Read more. 

The National Institutes of Health recognized Hesham Sadek, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, with its Outstanding Investigator Award for his research into mechanisms behind heart regeneration that could lead to treatments for heart failure. The multiyear award provides scientists increased freedom to conduct research that breaks new ground and allows them to take greater risks and pursue research that requires a longer time frame. Dr. Sadek is working to identify molecular mechanisms through which cardiac work and oxygenation regulate the heart’s ability to regenerate. Read more.

James Collins III, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology, will receive the 2023 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences from The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas (TAMEST).

The award recognizes his contributions to broadening understanding of schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that infect hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, including children. Dr. Collins is the 16th scientist at UT Southwestern to receive an O'Donnell award since TAMEST initiated the awards in 2006. Read more. 

The annual evaluation of Medical School chairs and center directors via a REDCap survey is open.

Faculty in the Medical School will receive REDCap reminders to complete the survey by Feb. 28. The responses are filtered through the RedCap software in order to ensure the confidentiality of respondents. Comments at the end of the survey should be general in nature, avoiding information that may reveal the respondent's identity.  

Should you have any questions or technical difficulties with the survey, contact utswleadershipevaluations@utsouthwestern.edu.

Your feedback is valuable as it helps track progress on priorities, operations, and areas of challenge.

High-Impact Science Writing Workshop*

Great scientific communicators effectively convey complex ideas with passion and in understandable terms. This workshop is designed to help you become a great scientific communicator by teaching you to write with clarity and brevity.  

• Feb. 9. Register to attend.

Successfully Earning a K (SEAK) Grant Writing* 

Designed to increase the likelihood of funding as you write or resubmit your K award application, this workshop focuses on each of the steps of the grant process. Early-career faculty submitting a K01, K08, or K23 application in June are encouraged to apply. 

• Apply by Feb. 15. (Program starts Feb. 27) 

Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Workshop for Research Track

The P&T Committee is hosting a workshop to ensure that faculty members understand the academic advancement timeline and criteria for the Research Track.

• Feb. 16. Join on Zoom.

Writing Accountability Group (WAG)*

These eight weekly workshops tackle the obstacles in finding time to write and the intimidation of getting started. WAG aims to make scholarly writing automatic, mechanical, and routine.

• Feb. 22 through April 12. Register to attend.

Annual COI Statement of Financial Interests

Faculty (except emeriti and volunteer faculty) and anyone involved in the design, conduct, and reporting of UTSW research must complete and submit a Conflict of Interest (COI) Statement of Financial Interests. All covered individuals will receive reminder emails.

• Through March 1. 

*Sponsored by the UT Southwestern CTSA Program