AUSTIN, TEXAS — The University of Texas System Board of Regents has named Dr. Melina R. Kibbe MD, as the sole finalist for the presidency of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). Dr. Kibbe currently serves as chief health affairs officer at UVA Health and dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

“Dr. Kibbe is a nationally recognized physician-scientist committed to delivering first class clinical care, health innovation and exceptional medical training,” said UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife. “The regents and I were pleased with the high level of interest from outstanding candidates across the country, and we are grateful to the search advisory committee and chancellor for the strong recommendations they brought forward.”

A nationally renowned academic health center, UTHealth Houston is a hub of health care innovation and a major driver of the state’s health professional workforce. An accomplished researcher and clinician with strong entrepreneurial experience, Dr. Kibbe has a successful record of leading programs and partnerships at large, prominent academic health institutions. 

“Dr. Kibbe is well-equipped to lead UTHealth Houston’s promising future and its exceptional community of educators, researchers and clinicians.  She has contributed in high-impact ways in discovery, academic success, and enhancing the clinical enterprise everywhere she served,” said UT System Chancellor ad interim John Zerwas MD, who chaired the presidential search advisory committee. 

Since joining UVA in 2021, Dr. Kibbe has overseen Virginia’s largest medical school measured by budget, faculty and research portfolio. Under her leadership, the school’s programs and partnerships have expanded significantly.  In addition to the recruitment of 16 new chairs and over 550 faculty, she has presided over the launch of new academic departments and clinical centers, including the UVA Health Leadership Institute.

Dr. Kibbe is a practicing vascular surgeon and a prolific physician-scientist. Her research, which focuses on novel therapies for vascular disease, has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs. She also co-founded VesselTek BioMedical, a company that specialized in the development of medical devices to treat vascular disease. She has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and holds many patents.

“It’s an extraordinary honor to be named as sole finalist for the presidency at UTHealth Houston, an institution that stands at the forefront of health education, research and patient care. UTHealth Houston is uniquely positioned to shape the future of health care in Texas and beyond.  I am inspired by its mission, and I look forward to building on UTHealth Houston’s legacy of innovation and excellence to strengthen our communities across the state and nation,” said Kibbe.

A graduate of the University of Chicago College of Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Kibbe completed her residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and her vascular surgery fellowship at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Prior to arriving at UVA, she was chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of North Carolina and a tenured professor of medicine in the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. 

Kibbe will remain sole finalist for a state-required 21-day waiting period before officially being named president.  She will succeed UTHealth Houston Interim President LaTanya J. Love MD. 

“We thank Dr. Love for her leadership and her work to advance UTHealth Houston’s important mission,” Eltife and Zerwas added.