When Phil Smith, M.D., retired at the end of June as medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit (NBU) and as one of the principal investigators of the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC), it created a major hole that UNMC needed to fill.
“We quickly realized that no single person could replace Phil,” said Chris Kratochvil, M.D., associate vice chancellor for clinical research. “We decided it would be best to divide his many responsibilities among four people.”
The four people who assumed the new duties were:
- Angela Hewlett, M.D. – medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit;
- Dr. Kratochvil and John-Martin Lowe, Ph.D. – principal investigators for NETEC; and
- Ted Cieslak, M.D., associate director, Center for Biosecurity, Biopreparedness, Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Let’s meet these key people charged with keeping UNMC as a national and international force in the world of preparedness:
Angela Hewlett, M.D.
Dr. Hewlett joined UNMC in 2009 as assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of infectious diseases, and the College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. She also served as associate medical director of the NBU.
Dr. Hewlett was promoted to associate professor in 2015. Since 2012, she has served as director of outpatient clinics for the division of infectious diseases. She is a six-time recipient of the Department of Internal Medicine Top Teacher Award, and she is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Chris Kratochvil, M.D.
Dr. Kratochvil joined UNMC in 1999 as assistant professor in the department of psychiatry. He was elevated to associate professor in 2003 and professor in 2008. In 2010, he was appointed assistant vice chancellor for clinical research, and in 2012, he was elevated to associate vice chancellor. In 2014, he was named vice president for research for Nebraska Medical Center.
Dr. Kratochvil is a Distinguished Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association and a Fellow in the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. In 2008, he was named a UNMC Distinguished Scientist.
John-Martin Lowe, Ph.D.
Dr. Lowe joined the UNMC College of Public Health in 2011 as an instructor in the department of environmental, agricultural and occupational health. He was named assistant professor in 2013. He was promoted to associate professor this year. From 2011-2013, Dr. Lowe was director of public health training and exercise programs in the Center for Biopreparedness, Biosecurity and Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Lowe’s professional affiliations include the American Public Health Association, the American Society of Microbiology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science – Biology. His research is focused on infectious disease microbiology, disaster preparedness, and environmental exposure assessment.
Ted Cieslak, M.D.
Dr. Cieslak joined the UNMC College of Public Health in 2015 as associate professor of epidemiology and as associate director of the NBU. He brought 30 years of experience in academic and military medicine, including appointments at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences & Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Dr. Cieslak served for eight years as biodefense consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General and for nine years as head of the U.S. delegation to NATO’s Biomedical Advisory Council. He also held positions with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Disease Society of America and received 20 awards during his military career.