Lorenz named microbiology chair
Following an international search, Executive Dean John Hancock has announced that Michael Lorenz, PhD, is the new chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics for McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, effective Jan. 1, 2023. He also will be appointed to the Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Chair in Biomedical Science.
A renowned infectious disease scientist whose focus is the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, Lorenz currently serves as professor of microbiology and molecular genetics and is a member of the faculty at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He also serves as director of the Graduate School program in Microbiology and Infectious Disease and is the director of the Molecular Basis of Infectious Disease T32 training program.
“We are grateful to have someone of Mike’s accomplishments and dedication to this school serve in this leadership capacity,” Hancock said. “I am confident he will continue to grow and hone the department, focusing on our McGovern mission.”
A graduate of Rice University, he completed graduate studies at Duke University, earning his PhD in genetics, and then completed postgraduate work at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass.
He joined the Medical school faculty as an assistant professor in 2003, rising up the ranks to associate professor in 2010 and professor in 2015.
His research in C. albicans has enjoyed continuous NIH funding and has been published in numerous scientific journals.
His honors include being elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a 2015 recipient of the UT System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, and the 2020 winner of the McGovern Outstanding Teaching Award from the Graduate School. His leadership roles include president of the Medical Mycology Society of the Americas (2015-16), conference chair of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology Conference on Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis (2019), conference chair of the South Central Medical Mycology Meeting (2018), editor of MBio (2016-present), permanent member of NIH PTHE study section (2015-2021), as well as serving as president of the Graduate Faculty (2018-19).
He has had significant teaching responsibilities for both Medical School and Graduate School students as well as for Dental School students and the Postdoctoral Certificate program students. He has sponsored numerous postdoctoral fellows, postgraduate students, and Medical School summer research program students.
Lorenz’s appointment marks the third chair for the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.
“I also want to take this opportunity to thank Theresa Koehler, PhD, for her 32 years of faculty service at McGovern. Terri is retiring at the close of 2022, and we wish her the best,” Hancock said.