New Dean of School of Medicine and Dentistry Announced

Berk Prepares to Return as CEO

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- University of Rochester President Joel Seligman today announced that on March 1, Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D., will return as full-time CEO of the Medical Center while Mark B. Taubman, M.D., will begin serving as the tenth dean of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.  

"I am excited to return as CEO, and I'm immensely grateful to all those who maintained the Medical Center's progress in my absence," Berk said.  "This experience has provided me with a fresh view of what it's like to be a patient.  There are huge opportunities for us as an institution and an organization. I'm very energized by the great things we can accomplish at the Medical Center."  

The former chair of the Department of Medicine, Taubman has been serving as Acting CEO of the Medical Center since Berk suffered a serious spinal cord injury on May 30, 2009.  With Berk now returning as CEO, Taubman will become Medical School dean and remain a pivotal member of Berk's leadership team.  Until Berk returns, Taubman will continue as Acting CEO.

"Mark has performed admirably over the last several months as Acting CEO.  He has not only maintained the Medical Center's forward momentum, he led the Medical Center's leadership team in solving some challenging issues," said University of Rochester President Joel Seligman. "I wholeheartedly support his selection as Dean of the Medical School."  

"Mark is the best possible choice for Dean," Berk said. "He is a physician-scientist who is active in the laboratory yet possesses a broad institutional view. As an active cardiologist, he also understands the challenges of practicing medicine."  

Taubman came to the Medical Center as chief of the Cardiology Unit and Paul N. Yu Professor of Medicine in February 2003. As chief, he was the guiding force behind the expansion of cardiac patient care services, faculty recruitment, strengthening treatments for those with heart arrhythmias and heart failure, adding new preventive cardiology programs such as the women's heart program, and forging strong regional services. Taubman also served as director of the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, which he helped Berk to found.

Taubman became chair of the Department of Medicine and Charles E. Dewey Professor of Medicine in May 2007. As chair of Medicine, he directed the largest single department in the Medical Center with more than 1,000 faculty and staff who work in 10 units devoted to patient care, research, and education, and a $150 million budget. He named division chiefs, including General Medicine, Cardiology, Hematology-Oncology, Endocrinology, and Infectious Disease. He also appointed an associate chair for Research as well as a chief financial officer for Medicine.  

In 2006, Taubman was named editor-in-chief of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, one of five international medical journals published by the American Heart Association, and the leading journal in the field of vascular biology. He has more than 120 publications, chapters and scholarly writings to his credit. 

Taubman is a graduate of the New York University School of Medicine who interned at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital before completing his residency and cardiology fellowship training at the Brigham & Women's Hospital.  He held academic appointments at Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital Boston, and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Prior to being recruited to the University of Rochester, he was director of cardiovascular research at Mt. Sinai.

According to Taubman, in the weeks ahead, a national search for his replacement as chair of Medicine will be led by current chair of Surgery, Jeffrey Peters, M.D.  He expressed his thanks to Paul Levy, M.D., who has functioned as Acting Chair of Medicine since Taubman has filled in as Acting CEO. Seligman, Taubman, and Berk also praised the work of Elizabeth "Lissa" McAnarney, M.D., chair emerita of Pediatrics who has been serving as Interim Dean since June.  

"Lissa is a seasoned academician whose leadership has been invaluable over these last several months," Seligman said.  "By stepping forward to steer the school through this transitional period, Lissa has given us the opportunity to make a thoughtful, deliberate choice that's ideal for the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Medical Center.  We owe her a debt of gratitude."  

SOURCE University of Rochester Medical Center