Dear Colleagues,
I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Rena D’Souza, DDS, MS, PhD, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Education for Health Sciences, to the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research. Dr. D’Souza has assumed new responsibility for research-related training and development across health sciences. Her charge includes broad support for cultivating an outstanding and diverse student body, excellent faculty mentors, innovative curriculum, and training programs that prepare graduates and trainees for top positions across the biomedical research workforce spectrum.
Dr. D’Souza is nationally and internationally recognized for her research and teaching excellence. She has received numerous awards and honors, including a Distinguished Mentoring Award from the American Association for Dental Research, Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental Research, the Presidential Award for Research Excellence from Texas A&M University, and is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences. For over 30 years, D’Souza has maintained a well-funded research program focused on developmental biology and genetics, matrix biology and tissue engineering. She has mentored over 120 research trainees and early career investigators, has served on the NIH Advisory Committee Taskforce to the Director, Dr. Francis Collins, on Physician-Scientist Training, and currently serves as an external reviewer and advisor to T32 and T90/R90 programs at numerous institutions.
Please join me in welcoming her!
Sincerely,
Will Dere, MD, FACP
Associate Vice President for Research, Health Sciences