UT Health selects John Hancock of Bellaire as executive director

John Hancock is the new executive director of UTHealth Medical School's Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases.

Former interim director of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School's Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases John Hancock has been named executive director of the institution.

Hancock’s position was announced July 23 in a press release after a national search to fill the position. He had been the interim director since January 2011 and resides in Bellaire.

"I am excited and highly privileged to have been given the opportunity to lead and build the research enterprise of this outstanding institute," Hancock said in the press release. "I look forward to working with all IMM faculty and our many enthusiastic supporters and donors as we continue to grow and strengthen the IMM research centers and extend our strong collaborative scientific programs with the Medical School."

Hancock has a doctorate from the University of London and bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery degrees from the University of Cambridge. He was formerly the deputy director of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, Australia and has previously been a research director at a California biotech company.

He is currently the vice dean for basic science research and is chair of the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at UTHealth Medical School. He also is the John S. Dunn Distinguished University Chair in Physiology and Medicine.