SUBJECT:  New Chair of Medicine

I am pleased to announce that Kenneth Kaushansky, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Washington, and Chief of the Hematology Section at the University of Washington Medical Center, will join the UCSD School of Medicine on February 1 as Chair of the Department of Medicine.

Dr. Kaushansky, a highly respected hematologist and distinguished scientist, is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Blood. I commend the search committee for selecting an outstanding individual whose professional accomplishments and leadership skills will be a tremendous addition to the Health Sciences at UCSD and to our university community.

He is a consummate academic physician who is committed to translating discovery at the molecular and cellular level into improved diagnosis and management, and ultimately prevention, of disease. He has conducted seminal research in his specialty, focusing on the molecular biology of blood cell growth factors, and the role of signal transduction in blood cell differentiation. His team has cloned several of the genes involved in these processes, including thrombopoietin, a key regulator of platelet production. He is committed to excellence in clinical service, research and teaching, and in the training of physician-scientists to bridge the gap between basic research and the care of patients.

Dr. Kaushansky earned his B.S. and M.D. at UCLA, and completed his training, including a fellowship in hematology, at the University of Washington joining the faculty in 1987. He is a recipient of the Dameshek Award from the American Society of Hematology, and an Outstanding Investigator Award from the American Society for Medical Research. He is currently Vice President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and will serve as president in 2003-2004. He is also a member of the Association of American Physicians.

Please join me in welcoming Ken, his wife Lauren and their two children to San Diego.

                                                Edward W. Holmes, M.D.
                                                Vice Chancellor--Health Sciences
                                                Dean, School of Medicine