On Thursday, Nov. 20., the Heersink School of Medicine honored 20 faculty members at the Fall 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception. This event recognizes Heersink faculty who have made major contributions to research, education, and clinical care.
"Endowed chairs and professorships are among the most prestigious honors an academic institution can bestow,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. “These appointments celebrate the brilliance of our faculty and the vision of donors who make groundbreaking research and transformative education possible."
An endowed chair or professorship is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive from an academic institution. This appointment not only supports innovation in medical education but also provides the honoree with vital resources, such as research funding, mentorship opportunities, and travel to conferences that enable collaboration both in and outside of the university.
The honorees were joined by their families and colleagues to celebrate this monumental achievement. View photos from the evening.
Khurram Bashir, M.D., MPH
Burton Multiple Sclerosis Endowed Research Professorship
Department of Neurology
Jerri Edwards, Ph.D.
Heersink Endowed Chair in Mental Health Research
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Aaron Fobian, Ph.D.
Tate Jordan Thomas Professorship in Psychiatric Medicine
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Hassan Ghomrawi, Ph.D., MPH
Triton Endowed Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Alice Reeves Goepfert, M.D.
Heersink Family Endowed Professorship in Graduate Medical Education
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Rafael Grytz, Ph.D.
Dennis Endowed Professorship in Glaucoma Research
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Orlando M. Gutierrez, M.D.
Hilda B. Anderson Endowed Chair in Nephrology
Department of Medicine
John Knight, Ph.D.
John R. Burns, M.D., and Dean G. Assimos, M.D., Endowed Professorship
Department of Urology
James J. Kobie, Ph.D.
Michael S. Saag, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Infectious Diseases
Department of Medicine
Mark Law, M.D.
Lionel M. Bargeron, Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology
Department of Pediatrics
Sixto M. Leal Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
Jay M. McDonald, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Experimental Pathology
Department of Pathology
Timmy C. Lee, M.D.
Marie S. Ingalls Endowed Chair in Nephrology Leadership
Department of Medicine
Li Li, M.D., Ph.D.
Vivian Conatser-Turner Endowed Professorship of Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Tony R. Merriman, Ph.D.
Jane Knight Lowe Chair of Medicine in Rheumatology
Department of Medicine
Jan Novak, Ph.D.
Jiri Mestecky Endowed Professorship in Microbiology
Department of Microbiology
Corey Speers, M.D., Ph.D.
Merle M. Salter, M.D. Endowed Chair of Radiation Oncology
Department of Radiation Oncology
Andrew T. Ulijasz, Ph.D.
Endowed Professorship in Lung Cellular and Molecular Biology
Department of Medicine
Benjamin Wei, M.D.
Charles W. Breaux, Sr., and Ann K. Breaux Endowed Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery
Department of Surgery
Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D.
Hazel Gore, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Gynecologic Pathology
Department of Pathology
Barbara Van Der Pol, Ph.D., MPH
Endowed Professorship in Reproductive Health Research
Department of Medicine