OVER THE SUMMER, Dean Thomas LaVeist announced that Dr. Preston Marx would be stepping down from his role as chair of the Department of Tropical Medicine. A search committee has been formed, and Dr. Marx will remain in the position until a new chair has been identified.
“I’d like to thank Preston for his leadership,” Dean LaVeist said when it was announced. For over a century, Tulane’s Department of Tropical Medicine has been a global leader in research in tropical diseases. The department has trained generations of scientists and public health workers. Preston took over as chair of this venerable department nearly five years ago, and he has continued our legacy of global leadership, guiding the department through a period in which the world has seen a dramatic spread of dangerous infectious diseases, such as Ebola, West Nile virus, and Zika. Under Preston’s leadership, our faculty has been among the world’s leaders in addressing threats such as these, while also continuing the department’s leadership in advancing research on malaria.”
Dr. Marx is a career virologist with over 250 research publications to his name, with research interests in AIDS, including potential vaccines, antiretrovirals, and the pathogenesis in non-human primate animal models. In 2010 his research on the origins of HIV in Africa was recognized by Discover magazine as #20 of the top scientific discoveries of that year.
He will remain on faculty in the department and will continue teaching, as well as maintaining his research program at the Tulane National Primate Research Center.
The search committee led by Dr. John Lefante, chair of the Department of Global Biostatistics and Data Science, seeks candidates with a strong tropical research background, experience in public health education, and a record of demonstrated leadership. Applications (curriculum vitae and detailed cover letter), nominations, and inquiries may be sent to Josh.Ward@KornFerry.com.