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Steven Hinrichs, M.D. |
The appointment, which is effective July 1, was announced Wednesday by John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. Dr. Hinrichs’ appointment follows a national search in which a number of outstanding candidates were considered, Dr. Gollan said.
“We are thrilled to have Steve take on this new challenge,” Dr. Gollan said. “He has been a stalwart at UNMC for many years, holding a variety of leadership roles and bringing a wealth of administrative experience to the position. He is truly a visionary leader, and I have no doubt that he will take this already outstanding department to an entirely new level.
“The department of pathology and microbiology is traditionally one of the high impact departments at any medical school. It includes a large concentration of physicians and basic scientists and is one of the leading departments in bringing in external research funding. It’s notable that the department plays a key leadership role in the College of Medicine.”
Dr. Hinrichs will take over leadership from Audrey Lazenby, M.D., who has served as interim chairperson since Sam Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., stepped down in June 2007 after serving as department chairman for 15 years.
“Steve is truly one of our superstars,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “I think he’s the perfect fit for this position. He has an exceptionally broad range of experience and an uncanny ability to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. I have every confidence in Steve’s leadership skills and know he will immerse himself into this new position and do a terrific job.”
A native of Redfield, S.D., Dr. Hinrichs earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of North Dakota. He completed his residency training at the University of California, Davis.
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Dr. Hinrichs was named the Stokes-Shackleford Professor in 2002 and was appointed that same year as director of the University of Nebraska Center for Biosecurity. Last year, he took on yet another key position when he was named senior associate dean for research development in the UNMC College of Medicine.
Dr. Hinrichs said he was humbled to be named chairman of pathology and microbiology.
“For the past 17 years, I’ve been fortunate to be a member of this exceptional department,” he said. “I’m honored to be selected as the new chairman. I’m well aware of the challenges that come with being a department chairman, but I couldn’t be more excited to have this wonderful opportunity. I think together we can accomplish great things.”
The department of pathology and microbiology includes approximately 55 faculty who interact with a wide range of programs including basic science research and education, clinical activities in The Nebraska Medical Center, and collaborations with the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center and Munroe-Meyer Institute. The faculty oversee a large number of technologists, research technicians, graduate students, residents and fellows.
The department is one of the leading research programs on campus, bringing in about $11 million in research funding during the past year. The department was one of the first in the country to develop a program for bioterrorism preparedness, and shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001, UNMC staff from pathology and microbiology coordinated the post office screening for anthrax contamination in Washington.
With the growing interest in biosecurity, the department has seen tremendous growth in molecular microbiology, bacterial pathogenesis, as well as chemical- and biological-terrorism preparedness. The department also manages several core facilities on campus including the monoclonal antibody facility, tumor and tissue banks, the histology core facility and the cell analysis facility.
Dr. Hinrichs is past chair of the Association of Public Health Laboratories Committee on Informatics and is a strong advocate for further development of communication systems and electronic infrastructure across the country. Under his direction, the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory was one of the first public health laboratories in the country to develop Internet-based test ordering and reporting capabilities with the ultimate goal of real-time identification of emerging epidemics.
Among his numerous honors, Dr. Hinrichs received the inaugural University of Nebraska Innovation, Development and Entrepreneurship (IDEA) Award in 2006 for his success in reaching beyond traditional university boundaries to enrich the broader community. Last year, Dr. Hinrichs was one of 24 researchers named to the inaugural class of UNMC Distinguished Scientists. In addition, he has been selected multiple times for The Best Doctors in America listing.
In 2007, Dr. Hinrichs was instrumental in establishing the first Web-based Personal Health Record program ever developed by an academic organization for its students. He is active on numerous national organizations and committees, including the National Governors Association (NGA) Health Information Communication and Data Exchange Taskforce, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Stakeholder Panel on Agent Detection Assays (SPADA) and the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.