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Dr. Paul McCray Named Chief Scientific Officer

I am very pleased to announce Dr. Paul McCray as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) within the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, effective December 1, 2021. Dr. McCray will transition from his current role of Executive Vice Chair within the department coincident with this appointment.

Dr. McCray received a BA in Biology from St. Olaf College and an MD from the University of Iowa. He subsequently completed his pediatric residency at Iowa, followed by a stint as a Senior House Officer in Pediatrics at the County Hospital in Hereford, England. He completed a fellowship in Pediatric Pulmonology at Iowa and is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Pulmonology.

Dr. McCray served as a pulmonologist and staff member at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute at Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California, from 1988-1991 and returned to Iowa as Assistant Professor in 1991. Promoted to Associate Professor in 1996 and to Professor of Pediatrics in 2001, he holds joint appointments in Microbiology and Immunology and Internal Medicine. From 2007-2015 he served as the Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics, and as interim Director of the Division of Pulmonary Medicine from 2010-2016. Since 2014 he has served as the Associate Director of the UI Center for Gene Therapy of Cystic Fibrosis and was named Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics in 2015.

Dr. McCray has authored or co-authored over 230 journal publications, numerous book chapters and reviews, and holds several patents. His research interests include the pathogenesis and treatment of cystic fibrosis, pulmonary innate immunity, host-pathogen interactions, and the applications of gene therapy for lung diseases. Dr. McCray is the PI of NIH-supported P01 and UH3 awards and co-directs a R38 award focused on stimulating access to research training during residency. Throughout his career, mentoring undergrad and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, has remained a priority.

The role of Chief Scientific Officer is a newly-created position within the department. In this role, Dr. McCray's responsibilities will be:

  • Helping establish and implement departmental advances for early-stage projects as well as more mature innovations.
  • Collaborating with the DEO to prioritize initiatives across the department.
  • Working with the DEO to acquire research and technology advancements through open solicitations, monitoring progress, and supporting ongoing development.
  • Overseeing merit reviews of scientific proposals and making strategic funding and hiring recommendations to the DEO.
  • Creatively sourcing scientific innovations and novel approaches and creating new research directions.
  • Developing new opportunities and building connections within diverse scientific and health science communities.
  • Please join me in welcoming Dr. McCray to his new role.

Thank you,

Alexander G. Bassuk, MD, PhD (he/him/they)
Professor and Chair | University of Iowa Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Joel and Jay Stead Chair for Leadership in Children's Medicine | University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Physician-in-Chief | University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital

Date: 
Tuesday, November 30, 2021