Meet the Interim Chancellor
A renowned academic leader, researcher, professor and pediatrician, H. Dele Davies, MD, is dedicated to transforming health science education and driving positive change within the community and beyond.
Dr. Davies serves as the interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, following the selection of Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, as president of the University of Nebraska System.
In this role, Dr. Davies is responsible for all aspects of campus leadership, program quality and operations, including six colleges, a graduate studies program, two degree-granting institutes, the professional staff and faculty of more than 6,000, and 4,500 health professions students.
Throughout his career, Dr. Davies has championed initiatives that inspire personal and professional growth, ensuring that students, faculty and staff are equipped with the tools and opportunities to excel. He is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and dynamic environment at UNMC where every individual is empowered to reach their full potential.
Dr. Davies joined UNMC in 2012, initially appointed as vice chancellor. He was promoted in 2017 to senior vice chancellor, with expanded responsibilities and direct oversight of all UNMC colleges and a health sciences library. He has served as dean of graduate studies since joining UNMC.
Prior to joining UNMC, Dr. Davies served as professor and chair of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Pediatrics and Human Development Department. Before that, he was director of the Child Health Research Unit at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Canada, and the Child Health Research Institute at the University of Calgary.
As senior vice chancellor, Dr. Davies has overseen numerous initiatives and helped grow UNMC's rural health programs, pathway programs, community outreach and faculty development. Under his leadership, UNMC’s overall student enrollment has grown every year with multiple new professional degree programs added. As dean of graduate studies, Dr. Davies implemented key programs focused on student development and wellness, and developed faculty as mentors and leaders.
Dr. Davies has received numerous prestigious awards during his career for his research, teaching, mentorship and community service. Since 2006, he has been recognized annually as a member of the Best Doctors of America, is a fellow of both the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society, the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Pediatric Society.
Dr. Davies has more than 250 publications in peer-reviewed journals related to his research on infectious diseases topics, several book chapters and other scholarly publications, and numerous presentations at national and international meetings.
Dr. Davies earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Toronto Dana Lana School of Public Health. Dr. Davies also holds a master’s degree in health care management from the Harvard School of Public Health.
He is specialty-trained in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Dr. Davies is a past fellow of the Academic Leadership Program, an extensive training program of the Big Ten Academic Alliance designed to help faculty leaders address the challenges of academic administration at major research universities.
In 2023, Dr. Davies became a certified International Coach Federation coach. This yearlong, intensive training for academic medical leaders from the Spiro Coaching Institute focuses on enhancing essential skills needed to increase organizational and patient care impact.
Dr. Davies' research interests lie in infectious diseases, especially perinatal infections caused by Group A and B streptococcus. His work was seminal in establishing the population-based rates, epidemiologic risk factors, serotypes and major virulence factors for Group A and B streptococcal infections in Canada, setting the stage for future introduction of effective vaccines.
Dr. Davies has conducted research and developed health pipeline programs that have been supported by over $24 million in funding either as principal investigator, co-principal investigator or co-investigator from several agencies including the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Dr. Davies was named as one of the top 2% researchers in his field based on citation metrics by a 2022 Stanford University Study.
Dr. Davies has served on more than 180 committees, advisory boards, government or public health councils and organizations, such as:
- Chair, Readiness and Resilience Working Group, National Biodefense Safety Board, advisory to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services.
- Member, Advisory Committee to the National Institutes of Health, Deputy Director for Intramural Research.
- Founding and Past Chair, Association of Academic Health Centers, Chief Academic Officers Executive Leadership Group.
- Board Member, Council of Graduate Schools.