Patricia Winokur, MD, Named Executive Dean

Patricia L. Winokur, MD, has been named Executive Dean, UI Carver College of Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2016. As Executive Dean, Dr. Winokur will work closely with Debra Schwinn, MD, Dean of the UI Carver College of Medicine, and the Dean’s office leadership in overseeing our missions of research, education, clinical, and academic affairs. A reception to congratulate Dr. Winokur will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, in the Seebohm Conference Room (283 EMRB).

Dr. Winokur will continue as Interim Vice Dean for Research until a final candidate is identified to assume this role. She has served as Interim Vice Dean since May 2015, a role well suited to her rich experience in research administration and her distinguished career spanning basic, translational, and clinical research.

Dr. Winokur brings to the position of Executive Dean an abiding commitment to the college’s missions and a strong and diverse background of leadership in academic medicine. She has significant experience in research administration, including five years as the Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the Iowa City VA Health Care System before assuming the role of Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Science in 2008. In these leadership roles, Dr. Winokur has expertly integrated Carver College of Medicine resources and serves as our primary research liaison with the larger university, including the office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development. She also has served on the Board of Directors for the University of Iowa Research Foundation.

Dr. Winokur completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Iowa followed by postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health. In 1993, she joined the faculty at Iowa, where she has been an active clinician, educator, and researcher. Dr. Winokur’s early career focused on the molecular mechanisms of human papillomavirus replication and transcriptional regulation and the molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in gram negative bacteria. In 2007, she became the principal investigator of the University of Iowa Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit, an NIH-funded program devoted to developing new vaccines, antibiotics, and diagnostics that target infectious diseases. In the course of her career, she has been primary author or coauthor on many papers and other publications, and has received several prestigious awards. She receives ongoing NIH-funded research support.

Please welcome Dr. Winokur to her new role. With her leadership, the Carver College of Medicine will continue to advance in biomedical discovery, educational innovation, physician practice, and faculty development.