The Michigan Program for Advancing Cultural Transformation, a federally funded program, has announced the appointment of 12 new tenure-track assistant professors across seven schools and colleges in the biomedical and health sciences.
The scholars’ research expertise spans critical areas, including preventing early substance use, skeletal regenerative medicine and AI-driven precision diagnostics.
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“This cohort exemplifies our commitment to advancing bold, interdisciplinary research that confronts some of the most critical scientific and health challenges of our time,” said Robert Sellers, the James S. Jackson Distinguished University Professor of Psychology in LSA and principal investigator of M-PACT.
“We look forward to supporting these outstanding scholars as they foster collaboration and innovation across the university and as they help train the next generation of scientific leaders.”
M-PACT is funded by the National Institutes of Health and administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. The program is designed to recruit, support and retain talented faculty in biomedical and health science fields through evidence-based best practices for mentorship, collaboration and career development.
“At a time when funding for scientific research faces growing challenges, M-PACT provides a critical foundation of centralized career development support and a cohort-based model to help ensure that every new faculty member is equipped for long-term success at the University of Michigan,” said Kanakadurga Singer, the Valerie Castle Opipari M.D. Professor of Pediatrics, assistant dean for tenure track faculty and professor of pediatrics and molecular and integrative physiology in the Medical School and M-PACT faculty development lead.
This cohort-based model offers a shared onboarding experience to support faculty transitioning to becoming independent researchers. The multi-disciplinary community brings together resources and opportunities from across campus.
“The purpose and vision of M-PACT is a gift to not only scholars like myself, but to the university as a whole,” said Asari Offiong, assistant professor of health behavior and health equity in the School of Public Health and M-PACT scholar. “I believe M-PACT is going to usher in a new generation of faculty that are well-equipped and well-rounded in their roles as educators, researchers and global citizens.
“Navigating the tenure process can appear nerve-wrecking but I’m confident that the wraparound support, guidance and professional development through M-PACT will further launch me into a long, fruitful career as an adolescent health researcher and practitioner at Michigan.”
The new tenure-track assistant professors are:
Libak Abou, Medical School
A neurorehabilitation researcher focused on enhancing the functional independence and well-being of individuals with advanced neurological diseases through integrated multidisciplinary interventions.
Nafeesa Andrabi, LSA
A sociologist examining how sociocultural factors influence stress and health outcomes in the United States, using large-scale data and quantitative methods.
Christopher Browne, College of Engineering
A chemical engineer and soft matter scientist investigating how polymers, proteins and gels influence the behavior of biofluids, with applications in medicine through material synthesis and device fabrication.
Patrice Hicks, Medical School
An ophthalmic epidemiologist researching how social and environmental factors impact eye health, with expertise in large-scale population studies and vision outcomes.
Florence Johnson, School of Nursing
A health services nurse scientist researching the impact of community support services on caregiver mental health and developing strategies to enhance support for dementia family caregivers.
Chima V. Maduka, College of Engineering
A clinician-scientist with expertise in medicine and engineering, researching targeted nanomaterials and the immunometabolic basis of inflammation to advance cardiovascular disease treatments.
Tara Maudrie, School of Social Work
A health researcher specializing in food systems, nutrition and health, with a focus on collaborating with communities to develop culturally grounded approaches to nourishment and well-being.
Lauren McCormick, LSA
A biophysicist studying the dynamics and evolution of microtubule polymers to uncover how their mutations cause cytoskeletal defects and human disease.
Asari Offiong, School of Public Health
An adolescent health researcher focusing on youth-centered approaches to substance use prevention and health promotion, with extensive experience in community-based research and program management in urban settings.
Eri Takematsu, School of Dentistry
A skeletal regenerative medicine researcher focused on enhancing skeletal stem cell activity with growth factors to advance therapies for bone repair and regeneration.
Joyce Yan-Ran Wang, College of Engineering
An assistant professor in biomedical engineering, researching innovative AI and machine learning approaches for automated diagnostics and precision medicine in cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological disorders.
Nari Yoo, School of Social Work
A behavioral health researcher applying data science and artificial intelligence to improve digital mental health care, with expertise in telemental health and mobile health technologies.
