Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, will become the senior associate dean for Academic Affairs in the Heersink School of Medicine, effective June 1, 2023.
As senior associate dean for Academic Affairs, Chen will work collaboratively with the Dean’s Leadership Team to establish and address the priorities for Heersink School of Medicine.
“There is so much excitement about the dean’s vision for the future of the Heersink School of Medicine,” said Chen. “I am honored to join Dean Agarwal’s Leadership Team.”
This role will focus on developing and communicating a strategy and vision for the future that builds upon Heersink’s existing strengths in research, clinical care, education, global health, and biomedical innovation. Chen will also participate in the school’s Executive Committee to advise and recommend policies according to the school’s bylaws and work with department chairs, center and institute directors, and other senior leaders to support new programmatic initiatives.
Currently, Chen serves as the chair of the Department of Surgery, holds the Fay Fletcher Kerner Chair of Surgery, and is the surgeon-in-chief of UAB Hospital. He is a funded surgeon-scientist, dedicated educator, pioneer in radioguided parathyroid surgery, and has clinical interests in endocrine surgery. His lab studies thyroid and neuroendocrine cancers and has received over $18 million in extramural funding.
Chen has held several leadership positions in major academic societies, including editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Surgery, president of the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons Foundation, president of the Association for Academic Surgery, president of the Society of Clinical Surgery, president of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, and president of Surgical Biology Club II.
Chen joined UAB in 2015 from the University of Wisconsin, where he was the Layton F. Rikkers, M.D., Chair in Surgical Leadership, chair of the Division of General Surgery, vice chair of Research for the Department of Surgery, and a professor in the departments of Surgery, Biomedical Engineering, and Pediatrics.
Chen will remain in his role of Chair of the Department of Surgery.