The Temple University Board of Trustees recently approved a new structure of the Basic Science Departments at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, which will take effect on July 1, 2021. The new structure encompasses contemporary constructs that better support curricular evolution, improve mentoring and faculty development, and enhance research production to optimize scientific academic and clinical interdisciplinary collaborations.

"Change is both challenging and invigorating," says Lewis Katz School of Medicine Interim Dean and Dean Emeritus, John M. Daly, MD, ’73, FACS. "And our new plan of organization will better enable our leadership and faculty to continue to improve and expand educational and research opportunities at the Katz School of Medicine."

The plan to “reimagine” the Katz School of Medicine basic science departmental structure began with a thorough evaluation of the longstanding configuration two years ago, led by Senior Associate Dean of Research, Steven Houser, PhD, and continued with an outside review by three former medical school deans from Stanford University, Emory University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Following the external review and initial list of recommendations, an internal committee chaired by Walter Koch, PhD, W.W. Smith Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, assessed the findings and recommendations for reorganizing the school's basic science departments, research centers and core facilities -- evaluating the proposed plan against the goals of the new educational curriculum and the growth potential for clinical-translational research.

The committee issued a final report recommending the re-alignment of the Katz School of Medicine’s basic science departments and centers into eight interdisciplinary and functionally integrated, interdisciplinary academic departments where centers align within the departments consistent with overall, overarching institutional research priorities and educational activities performed within them.

“Our new basic science department structure creates an innovative learning environment for students, and also a more collaborative environment for our faculty,” says Daly. “By changing the traditional constructs of our basic science department, we create additional opportunity for interprofessional collaboration and faculty development, which helps us meet our goals of increasing research productivity, supporting faculty mentorship, and creating robust learning environments for Katz School of Medicine graduate and medical students.”