Messages from the Executive Vice President

May 20, 2011

New Chairman of the Department of Medicine

I am pleased to announce that Paul R. Skolnik, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.I.D.S.A., a nationally prominent infectious diseases clinical specialist and academician, has been appointed Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the UConn School of Medicine, effective June 22. Dr. Skolnik is currently a Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, where he has served as Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases, founding Director of the Center for HIV/AIDS Care and Research at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Program Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at BMC, among other responsibilities.

A graduate of Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he also completed his internship and residency in internal medicine, Dr. Skolnik's career has focused on infectious diseases since completing his fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Before joining Boston University School of Medicine and BMC in 2001, he was on the faculty of Tufts University School of Medicine-New England Medical Center, where he served as Associate Program Director of the General Clinical Research Center, among other responsibilities.

Dr. Skolnik is a standing member of the NIH AIDS Immunology and Pathogenesis Study Section and has a substantial record of serving as a mentor for successful basic and clinical research trainees on NIH-funded T32 training grants and K08 awards. His clinical research interests include studies of HIV-related therapeutics, adherence and retention in care. He has been Site Leader for the Clinical Research Site of the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at BMC.

His current basic research interests include Toll-Like Receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immune responses, modeling of cytokine and chemokine networks, and the interactions of microRNAs with the innate immune system in the lungs of patients who are HIV-positive. At UConn, he will continue his research pursuits and will see patients in the Division of Infectious Diseases.

His appointment follows a robust national search led by Denis Lafreniere, M.D., Interim Chair of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Skolnik succeeds Joseph Palmisano, M.D., who has served as Interim Chairman since 2007. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Palmisano for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to excellence in clinical care, education and research. Dr. Palmisano will continue to see patients, mentor students, residents and fellows, and lead our critical care service.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Skolnik and thanking Dr. Palmisano for his service.

Sincerely,

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UConn School of Medicine