Initiating the Search for the Next Chair of Physiology
October 8, 2024
After twelve years of impactful leadership as Chair of the Department of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, we extend our sincere gratitude to J. Kevin Foskett, PhD, Isaac Ott Professor of Physiology, for his dedicated and steadfast service. Consistent with our two-term policy, Dr. Foskett will step down as chair.
The Department of Physiology has a storied history: it was originally founded in 1780 as the Institutes of Medicine, the first basic medical science department in the United States, and later renamed the Department of Physiology. Today, the Department continues to be recognized internationally as one of the premier Physiology departments in the country, with key strengths in research and training. The faculty are highly engaged in graduate student education, with many serving in leadership positions in graduate groups and as directors of graduate courses. During his tenure, Dr. Foskett maintained the department’s commitment to impactful scholarship, and in the past year and a half alone, the faculty published 142 papers in prominent journals. Dr. Foskett is known for his collaborative spirit, partnering with various departments and centers and institutes to attract the very best talent to Penn, including expertise in super-resolution microscopy, cardiovascular biology, and metabolism. He has fostered a diverse and inclusive environment; women now account for one-third of the total faculty.
With the completion of his term as chair, Dr. Foskett will return full-time to his active scientific program, which focuses, most generally, in membrane transport and cell signaling, with the techniques employed in the lab spanning the spectrum from biophysical to molecular. He will continue to mentor students and faculty as he has so successfully done for many years.
A search has been initiated for his successor. Kristen Lynch, PhD, is chairing the search committee. We welcome the feedback and recommendations of our community during this process. Questions or input can be sent to evpdean@upenn.edu or to any of the search committee members listed below.
Thank you.
Jon Epstein, MD, Interim EVP|Dean
Lisa Bellini, MD, Executive Vice Dean
