By News and Internal Communications
By Saira Cabrera
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has announced the appointment of Dr. Ihsan Salloum as the endowed chair in the Institute of Neuroscience benefiting the UTRGV School of Medicine.
The university made the official announcement March 21, 2022, at the Rio Bank Building in McAllen.
The gift was named in honor of Sujata G. Krishnan, daughter of mid-Valley physicians Drs. Subram and Elizabeth Krishnan, as an award to a prestigious scholar in the field of neuroscience.
Salloum, director of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s Institute of Neuroscience and chair of the UTRGV Department of Neuroscience, expressed his gratitude to the Drs. Krishnan for their support.
“The Sujata G. Krishnan Endowed Chair in Neuroscience will help advance neuroscience research and education at UTRGV, and help advance our vision to transform brain health," Salloum said. "The endowment will support the innovative state-of-the-art research in neuroscience and focus on developing cutting-edge investigation."
The Drs. Krishnan said they established the neuroscience chair to continue to help and support the many people who suffer from neurological disorders. They also hope to increase awareness in neuroscience; encourage research, knowledge and treatment; and retain future physicians interested in conducting neuroscience investigation.
“Some physicians we know who came to the Valley left because they could never conduct the research they were looking for,” Subram Krishnan said at the announcement. “So, today, it's a distinct pleasure that we now have a neuroscience institute focusing on research in the Rio Grande Valley. We hope to increase interest and resources in the field through these efforts."
Dr. Michael B. Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and senior vice president for UT Health RGV, said the endowed chair in neuroscience was instrumental in developing the UTRGV Institute of Neuroscience and in creating more opportunities for the Valley.
“To be able to recruit and retain Dr. Salloum was possible only because of the generous gift of Drs. Krishnan, so I want to thank you,” Hocker said. "Today is a fantastic opportunity to thank two incredibly generous people, and to note the tremendous work that will come from the endowment.”
The gift to UTRGV is designed to help advance critical research and neuroscience programming in South Texas and empower the next generation of physicians.
Dr. Kelly Nassour, executive vice president for UTRGV Institutional Advancement, said the announcement was an important opportunity to celebrate not just the generosity of the Drs. Krishnan, but also Salloum's accomplishments.
“It's a wonderful testament to the philanthropic efforts of the Drs. Krishnan to elevate the research we are doing now and will do in neuroscience,” Nassour said.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.
