Melina Kibbe

President of UTHealth Houston

Melina Kibbe, MD became president of UTHealth Houston and holder of the Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair in September 2025. This appointment followed a career built on academic leadership, clinical service, and research focused on improving patient outcomes. Before assuming this role, she served as a medical school dean and chief health affairs officer, guiding major initiatives across education, research, and healthcare delivery. Throughout her professional life, Melina Kibbe has approached leadership with a steady focus on institutional responsibility, collaboration, and service to patients and learners.

Leadership Across Academic Health Systems

Her leadership experience includes directing large academic and clinical organizations with complex missions. She previously served as chair of a department of surgery at a public educational institution, overseeing faculty advancement, clinical operations, and research growth. Earlier roles included serving as vice chair for research within a surgery department and as deputy director of a multidisciplinary research institute. In these positions, she worked to align research goals with clinical priorities while supporting faculty development. Her leadership philosophy has emphasized structure, accountability, and mentorship, ensuring that institutions remain focused on long-term academic and clinical excellence.

Education and Professional Development

Her academic training began with undergraduate studies in biological sciences, followed by earning a medical degree from a nationally recognized medical school. She completed her internship, residency, and research fellowship at a large academic medical center, gaining experience in both clinical surgery and scientific investigation. She later completed a vascular surgery fellowship at another major educational institution. She is board-certified in general surgery and vascular surgery and holds advanced certifications in vascular imaging. Alongside leadership roles, she has maintained an active interest in clinical care, with extensive experience performing open and endovascular surgical procedures for patients with vascular disease.

Research Vision and Scientific Leadership

Melina Kibbe, MD has led a research program focused on advancing therapies for vascular disease through translational science. Her work centers on the development of drug-eluting treatments and the study of how these therapies interact with blood vessels at the cellular and molecular levels. She has served as principal investigator on multiple grants funded by federal agencies and national organizations, and she has also contributed as a co-investigator, consultant, or mentor on many additional research projects. Her experience includes leadership roles in gene- and cell-based clinical trials for patients with critical limb ischemia, as well as advisory roles in trials focused on peripheral artery disease. She holds more than 10 patents, including provisional patents, reflecting a sustained effort to translate research findings into clinical applications. Early in her career, her scientific work was recognized with a national award honoring emerging leaders in research.

Service, Advocacy, and National Roles

She has contributed extensively to national professional organizations and academic medicine. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of a leading surgical journal and has previously held elected leadership positions, including serving as president of several surgical societies. She also serves in officer and committee leadership roles within major professional organizations and remains actively engaged in professional service. Her contributions to medicine have been recognized through election to respected honorary societies, including the National Academy of Medicine. Beyond organizational leadership, she has been a vocal advocate for addressing sex bias in biomedical research. Her publications on this issue garnered national attention and informed policy development within federal agencies and legislative efforts to improve research inclusion.

Scholarship, Teaching, and Personal Background

Her scholarly record includes more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, as well as numerous review articles and book chapters. She has authored or co-authored hundreds of abstracts presented at national and international meetings. Her contributions have been recognized through many awards for leadership, service, and equity, as well as more than 20 honors for excellence in teaching. She is a member of a national medical honor society. She has supported innovation by cofounding a biomedical company focused on developing vascular medical devices, where she served as chief medical officer. Raised in Southern California, she later completed executive and management training programs to strengthen her leadership skills. Throughout her career, Melina Kibbe, MD has remained committed to advancing education, research, and patient care through thoughtful and consistent leadership.  Read more here.