Bishr Omary, a University of Michigan physician-scientist since 2008, has been named the executive vice dean for research at the Medical School and chief scientific officer for Michigan Medicine.
His appointment, effective May 1, was approved April 20 by the Board of Regents.
Since 2008, Omary has served as chair of the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology in the Medical School, where he led the department to become the highest-ranked National Institute of Health-funded physiology department in the nation. He also helped the department grow its educational and training platforms and was instrumental in recruiting half of the department’s current faculty.
Omary also is the H. Marvin Pollard Professor of Gastroenterology in the Department of Internal Medicine.
“Dr. Omary has been an outstanding leader here at Michigan Medicine with an extraordinary track record of recruiting top researchers and attracting crucial funding that moves science forward,” says Marschall Runge, executive vice president of medical affairs and dean of the Medical School.
“We know he will lead our team and collaborate closely with our colleagues across campus in efforts that will improve health worldwide through scientific discovery.”
In his new role, Omary will work closely with key stakeholders to develop and implement a robust strategy to foster excellence in biomedical research and clinical translation to improve disease prevention and treatment, in addition to promoting fundamental basic science research.
He will facilitate the formation of new strategic partnerships across the Medical School and main university campus, and support and advocate for existing partnerships. He also will serve as a key member of the Michigan Medicine leadership team and assist with recruiting and retention efforts, faculty workforce planning, and facility and capital planning for the research enterprise.
Prior to joining U-M, Omary spent 19 years at Stanford University, where he served in several capacities, including as the chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, director of its NIH-supported digestive disease center and director of its NIH-supported training grant.
Omary earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, and his medical degree from the University of Miami. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego.
He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and has published 170 original papers and nearly 40 reviews and commentaries.
