It is a pleasure and a privilege to announce that David X. Cifu, M.D, Herman J. Flax, MD Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has been appointed as Associate Dean for Innovation and Systems Integration for the School of Medicine.

Dr. Cifu received his undergraduate and M.D. degree from Boston University. He then completed his Internship and Residency at Baylor College of Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). Dr. Cifu joined the staff at VCU as an Assistant Professor in 1991 and with an appointment at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, rising through the ranks to his current position (held since 1997) as Chair of the Department. He is the Chief of PM&R Services for the VCU Health System and the founding Director of the VCU-Center for Rehabilitation Sciences and Engineering (CERSE). He has dedicated much of his work to serving our veterans and active duty personnel and serves as the Senior TBI Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

He has been funded on 42 research grants for over $135 million including currently serving as Principal Investigator of the VA/DoD $62.2 Million Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC). He is well known and an invited lecturer regionally, nationally, and internationally and has published more than 215 scientific articles.

Dr. Cifu is uniquely skilled to fill this new role as Associate Dean for Innovation and Systems Integration. In addition to continuing to lead as PM&R departmental chair, in this expanded role he will now also advance the strategic goal of integrating across systems our scientific, clinical and educational developments in artificial intelligence
and biomarkers for traumatic and cognitive neuroscience. He will work collaboratively to support the physician workforce and leadership of the formative Sheltering Arms- VCU Health initiative. He will also advance our vital VA and DoD partnerships, both locally and nationally.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Cifu on this strategic promotion.

Peter F. Buckley, M.D.
Dean, VCU School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, VCU Health System