Newsmakers: September 2026

Sonali Singh

Brown, Tomar named directors

APHA member Apryl Renee Brown, MD, MPH, and Scott Tomar, DMD, DrPH, MPH, were elected directors for the Institute of Medicine of Chicago's Board of Governors in July. Brown, a public health scientist and master of divinity candidate at the University of Chicago, and Tomar, professor and associate dean for prevention and public health sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, are slated to serve one-year terms.

Ojikutu chosen as president-elect

APHA member Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPH, commissioner of public health and executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, was chosen as president-elect of the National Association of County and City Health Officials in July. Other new NACCHO leaders include Patrick McGough, DNP, CEO and chief public health officer of the Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County Health Department, who is now serving as president; Renae Moch, MBA, public health director of Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health in North Dakota, vice president; and Damon Chaplin, MBA, health commissioner of the City of Minneapolis Health Department, immediate past president.

Shim named health officer

Mia Shim, MD, MPH, was named health officer for Sonoma County in California in July. Shim, an internal medicine physician, previously served as interim health officer and chief medical officer for Public Health-Seattle and King County in Washington.

Walker appointed commissioner

Garth Walker, MD, MPH, was appointed commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health in July. Walker, an emergency medicine physician, is chief medical officer for Rush Health Medical Center. He previously served as deputy director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Fellows announced

The National Academy of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation named eight health professionals to the 2026-2027 class of RWJF Health Policy Fellows in July. The new fellows are: Akshar Abbott, MD, MPH, MBA, medical officer for the Veterans Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Susan Culican, MD, PhD, senior associate dean of graduate medical education at the University of Minnesota Medical School; Lauren Hughes, MD, MPH, MSc, state policy director of the Eugene S. Farley Jr. Health Policy Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Virginia LeBaron, PhD, APRN, associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Nursing; Hui Shao, MD, PhD, associate professor at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health; Denise Smith, PhD, CNM, associate professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing; Renuka Tipirneni, MD, MSc, associate professor at the University of Michigan; and Lori Uscher-Pines, PhD, MSc, distinguished senior research scientist at the Brown University School of Public Health.

Shlossman named CEO

Amy Shlossman was named executive vice president and CEO of Oregon Health and Science University in June. Prior to her new role, Shlossman was president of LifeBridge Health in Baltimore.

White appointed president, CEO

Michael White, MD, MBA, was named president and CEO of Valleywise Health in Arizona in July. Prior to his new role, White served as the health system's executive vice president and chief clinical officer.

New department announced

UTHealth Houston and the city of Houston announced a partnership in June to establish a new academic health department. The department is intended to strengthen the region's public health workforce, expand hands-on training for students and deepen collaboration between university researchers and city health leaders.

Holmes named dean

Charles Holmes, MD, MPH, was named dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in June. Holmes, an infectious disease physician, is director of Georgetown University's Center for Innovation in Global Health and previously served as chief medical officer and deputy U.S. global AIDS coordinator for President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. His five-year appointment took effect July 1.

Johnson named chair

Renee Johnson, PhD, MPH, was named chair of the Doctor of Public Health Program at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health in June. Johnson, an epidemiologist who studies injury and overdose prevention, is a professor in the school's Department of Mental Health and had served as the program's acting chair since September 2025. Her appointment took effect July 1.

Norcross appointed associate dean

Marc Norcross, PhD, ATC, was appointed executive associate dean of the Oregon State University College of Health in June. Norcross, a professor in the university's School of Exercise, Sport and Health Sciences, joined the faculty in 2011 and most recently served as associate dean for strategy and administration. His appointment took effect July 1.

Nakkash named chair

Rima Nakkash, DrPH, MPH, was appointed chair of the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University's College of Public Health in June. Nakkash, a professor and tobacco control researcher, had served as the department's interim chair since 2024 and previously was a tenured associate professor at the American University of Beirut. She joined the George Mason faculty in 2021.

Maron named editor-in-chief

Bradley Maron, MD, was named editor-in-chief of Circulation, the American Heart Association's journal, in July. Maron, a cardiologist known for his research on pulmonary hypertension, is senior associate dean for precision medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He succeeds Joseph Hill, who had led the journal since 2016.

New department announced

The Indiana University Indianapolis Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health and the Indiana Department of Health formed a new academic health department partnership in June. The partnership is intended to strengthen ties between public health education and practice through expanded student training, applied research and workforce development across the state.

Valle awarded

Carmina Valle, PhD, MPH, received a 2026 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in June. Valle, an associate professor of nutrition at the university's Gillings School of Global Public Health and a scientist with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, was one of five early-career faculty honored. She was recognized for research using mobile technology and social media to promote healthy behaviors among cancer survivors.