NEW CHAIRHOLDERS

The generosity of Paula and Rusty Walter established the Walter Centennial Chair Challenge (C3), which ignited a powerful philanthropic response from many Houston visionaries that exceeded our expectations.

Siddhartha Ganguly, MD, FACP

Carol Cockrell Curran Distinguished Centennial Chair in Hematologic Oncology

Dr. Ganguly is a faculty member of the Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center and professor of clinical oncology in the Houston Methodist Academic Institute. Dr. Ganguly is a board-certified hematologist specializing in the clinical care and research of hematological malignancies, cellular therapeutics and bone marrow transplantation, and he is a full member of the Houston Methodist Research Institute. Dr. Ganguly received his medical degree in India and completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology at Baylor College of Medicine. He concluded a second fellowship in bone marrow transplantation at the Baylor College of Medicine Center for Cell and Gene Therapy.

Zsolt Garami, MD

The Allison Family Centennial Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation I

Dr. Garami is the medical director of the Vascular Ultrasound Lab at Houston Methodist and associate professor of clinical cardiovascular surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He has a clinical background in radiology and received further specialization training in intracranial ultrasound in Europe and the U.S. In recent years, Dr. Garami has become a nationally recognized leader in transcranial doppler. His research focuses on understanding and treating intracranial flow disturbances that cause stroke resulting from emboli to the brain. He has numerous publications on monitoring the cerebral vasculature during vascular procedures, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and carotid artery surgery.

R. Mark Ghobrial, MD, PhD

J.C. Walter Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair in the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center at Houston Methodist

Dr. Ghobrial is director of the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, director of the Sherrie and Alan Conover Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, and director of Transplantation Research at Houston Methodist. He is also a professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. A primary goal of his research is to increase donor transplant acceptance and prolong the life of the transplanted organs in transplant recipients. His areas of expertise include hepatobiliary disorders, liver resection, liver disease, liver transplant and hepatocellular carcinoma. The addition of organ rejuvenation and regeneration to the immunobiology and clinical research programs will add significant strength to the transplant program at Houston Methodist, one of the top transplant research endeavors in the country.

Muralidhar Hegde, PhD

Everett E. and Randee K. Bernal Centennial Chair for the Neurological Institute

Dr. Hegde is a professor of Neurosurgery in the Houston Methodist Academic Institute and a full member of the Research Institute, where he directs a research program focused on delineating the role of genome damage/repair responses in human brain disorders (neurodegeneration, brain hemorrhage and injury) and cell proliferation (cancer) and on developing novel, mechanism-based treatment strategies. He is also a professor of neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and has over 90 peer-reviewed publications, including more than a dozen as a senior author. Dr. Hegde’s laboratory is interested in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease and stroke.

While department leaders are actively working to fill the open positions of endowed chairs with the most accomplished physicians, scientists and nurses, the eight positions filled in 2021 and described below represent an unprecedented collection of medical and scientific brilliance tackling the most pressing challenges of modern medicine. Through the generosity of the benefactors who established these endowed positions, these chair- holders have a stable, long-term financial resource to support their research and education programs.

Andrew G. Lee, MD

Herb and Jean Lyman Centennial Chair in Ophthalmology

Dr. Lee is chair of the Houston Methodist Blanton Eye Institute and a professor of ophthalmology, neurology and neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. His research focuses on the neuroophthalmic effects of space flight, optic nerve disorders and tumors of the optic nerve. Dr. Lee is a member of Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Space Medicine and has been active and engaged in collaborative research to determine the etiology of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome and any potential countermeasures that might be deployed as NASA prepares for future deep space exploration and proposed return visits to the moon, the asteroid belt and a planned manned mission to Mars.

Henry J. Pownall, PhD

Sanford I. Weill and Antonio M. Gotto Jr., MD Centennial Directorship in Translational Biomedical Sciences Education

As a professor of bioenergetics and a full member of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Dr. Pownall’s studies encompass multiple aspects of lipid metabolism. A major goal of his research is to determine how different forms of cholesterol carried in blood by the plasma lipoproteins contribute to multiple pathologies — cardiovascular disease, blood cell abnormalities and human fertility. His multidisciplinary research includes collaboration with structural biologists, endocrinologists and X-ray crystallographers. Dr. Pownall is a member of the Weill Cornell Graduate School and teaches classes and serves on graduate advisory and qualifying exams committees at multiple institutions. Nationally, he is a standing member of a National Institutes of Health Scientific Review Committee.

Diego R. Martin, MD, PhD

M.D. Anderson Foundation Distinguished Chair in Molecular Imaging

Dr. Martin is chair of radiology in the Houston Methodist Department of Radiology and a professor of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is internationally known for his work in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particularly as it relates to improving the diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders. His research has focused on providing a quantitative imaging virtual biopsy of diseased tissues, minimizing the need for invasive testing and for improving cost-effective precision diagnostics as a platform for precision medicine. He currently serves as chair and director of Education for Body MRI at the American College of Radiology Learning Center and the Continuous Professional Improvement Program.

Gail M. Vozzella, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Crowning Achievement Centennial Chair in Nursing Excellence

Gail M. Vozzella is chief nursing executive and senior vice president at Houston Methodist Hospital. She previously served as the associate chief nursing officer and vice president of nursing at Texas Children’s Hospital. Vozzella began her 37-year career in nursing in 1985 after earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Boston College. In May 2022, Gail achieved her doctoral degree in nursing practice from The University of Texas, Cizik School of Nursing. Since joining Houston Methodist one year ago, Gail has started a nurse science fellowship program, furthered enhanced nursing education and focused on enhancing pipelines for a consistently high-achieving nursing workforce. Her future plans include partnering with the Houston Methodist Research Institute and the Center for Innovation to implement technology to better support front-line nurses in patient care.