David M. Stern, MD, executive dean of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine, has announced the appointment of Teresa Waters, PhD, as the new chair for the Department of Preventive Medicine in the UTHSC College of Medicine. “With 14 years on our faculty, Dr. Waters brings extensive research experience, sound health policy insights and strong, professional relationships to this position,” said Dr. Stern. She will begin her new role effective August 1.
Professor Karen Johnson, MD, MPH, BS, has served as interim chair for the department for more than four years, while simultaneously maintaining her demanding roles as a successfully funded researcher and educator. “We greatly appreciate Dr. Johnson’s willingness to accept the interim responsibilities for Preventive Medicine and we applaud her work, which has kept the department moving forward during this extended period of transition,” Dr. Stern noted.
Dr. Waters joined the faculty in the Department of Preventive Medicine in 2000. Previously she served on the faculty of Northwestern University where she was an assistant director and, later, an interim deputy director of the Institute for Health Services Research and Policy Studies, a research center that coordinated the efforts of more than 20 faculty and 35 staff. Dr. Waters received her PhD in economics from Vanderbilt University in 1992.
Having published 61 original, peer-reviewed articles and five reviewed articles or book chapters, she is on the editorial board of Medical Care Research and Review. Dr. Waters has also served on multiple NIH and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Study Sections as a member and ad hoc reviewer. Her research is currently funded by AHRQ, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Institute on Aging.
Dr. Waters has received several teaching awards, including the UT Student Government Association Excellence in Teaching Award in 2003. She has mentored dozens of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty members during her career at Northwestern University and UTHSC.