Board approves new health sciences chief

Pitt’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Anantha Shekhar’s appointment as the University’s new senior vice chancellor for the health sciences, dean of the School of Medicine and an officer of the University at its Friday morning meeting.

Shekhar is currently serving as executive associate dean of research affairs at the Indiana University School of Medicine and will begin at Pitt in June. He will replace Arthur Levine, who will move to a research position at Pitt’s Brain Institute, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease.

The senior vice chancellor for health and sciences is responsible for Pitt’s six schools of health science — the Graduate School of Public Health, the schools of Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. They are also responsible for the integration of these schools with UPMC, the University’s clinical partner.

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher originally announced Shekhar’s nomination in January and said Friday that he was excited to have an “outstanding leader” join the University.

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of this senior position for the future of our University,” Gallagher said.