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Dean’s Lecture scheduled for Nov. 10

By Roman Petrowski
Dr. Helen W. Boucher poses for a professional headshot
Helen W. Boucher, MD

The Office of Research Affairs will welcome Helen W. Boucher, MD ’93, dean and professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, to present the 2026 Dean’s Lecture at noon Nov. 10 in MSB 1.006.

Boucher, who also serves as chief academic officer of Tufts Medicine, will present “New Hope or More Despair: Antimicrobial Resistance in 2026,” examining the challenges posed by drug-resistant infections and efforts to develop new treatments.

An infectious diseases physician and researcher, Boucher has dedicated much of her career to studying infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and developing new anti-infective agents. Her clinical interests also include infections in immunocompromised patients.

Boucher previously served as chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center and director of the Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance. She currently chairs the Innovations Working Group of the National Institutes of Health Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group and serves on its executive and steering committees.

Her contributions to infectious diseases research and policy have earned numerous honors, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Maxwell Finland Award in 2022. She also served on the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria from 2015 to 2023 and was named an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 2023.

Following her graduation from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Boucher completed her internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship training in Boston before joining the faculty at Tufts University School of Medicine.

The Dean’s Lecture Series at McGovern Medical School was established in 1983 to promote professional development and encourage scientific collaboration. Sponsored by the Research Committee, the series brings distinguished scientists from various disciplines to share their work, with topics ranging from basic science research to patient care.