UAB Synopsis, Vol. 28, No. 34, September 14, 2009
Senior Vice President and School of Medicine Dean Robert R. Rich, MD, announces the appointment of Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine William W. Andrews, PhD, MD, as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Andrews succeeds John C. Hauth, MD, who is retiring after a decade as chair. Under Dr. Hauth’s leadership the department grew to be one of the top 5 NIH-funded OB/GYN departments in the country, with many of its faculty members listed in the “Best Doctors in America” list and a superb clinical and training program.
“We are fortunate to have an exceptional internal candidate for this key leadership role within the School of Medicine and we are very pleased he accepted this appointment,” Dr. Rich says. “Dr. Andrews is nationally known for his major research contributions to infectious diseases in maternal-fetal medicine. He has been active as a clinician, researcher, and administrator at UAB during his 19 years of service and is highly regarded by his fellow physicians, administrators, and others for his wisdom and leadership.”
A member of UAB’s faculty since 1990, Dr. Andrews has led the Obstetrics and Gynecology Infectious Disease Research Laboratory since its inception in 1990.
Throughout the years, his various roles at UAB included serving as vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 2005 and director of the Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine since 2000.
Dr. Andrews is UAB’s coprincipal investigator for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. He is principal investigator for the NICHD-funded Genomics and Proteomics Network for Preterm Birth Research, coinvestigator for the International Clinical Epidemiology Network, and co- or principal investigator on more than 25 research grants.
“Bill’s knowledge and expertise in the area of maternal-fetal medicine will help ensure the delivery of high-quality, compassionate care throughout Alabama,” says UAB Health System CEO Will Ferniany, PhD. “I look forward to working with him in his new leadership role.”