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Wayne State School of Medicine appoints Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Stephen A. Lerner, MD, has been named associate dean for faculty affairs at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. He will direct administrative issues including promotion and tenure, voluntary appointments and academic credentialing for faculty members in clinical and basic science departments. Dr. Lerner replaces Dr. Liborio Tranchida who established this important role and served for approximately one year before his retirement.

“As a respected physician, educator, researcher and administrator, Dr. Lerner is well-suited for this position. He understands the complex roles and demands of the medical faculty and he has great expectations for his colleagues,” said Dr. John Crissman, dean of the WSU School of Medicine. “As associate dean, he will build appropriate infrastructures and ensure continuing administrative support for Wayne State faculty members to excel.”

During his 16 years of service at WSU, Dr. Lerner has served as professor and vice chief for the Division of Infectious Disease in the Department of Internal Medicine.

Through his service on numerous WSU and DMC committees, Dr. Lerner has intimate knowledge of the personnel and management procedures at the university. Most recently, he held positions on the Promotion and Tenure Committee (faculty representative since 1994), Committee for Protected Time for Research, and Research Mentor Advisory Committee—all within the Department of Internal Medicine.

“I plan to advance initiatives that support faculty productivity and satisfaction,” said Dr. Lerner. “I am in favor of research mentorship, programs that allow clinical faculty members protected research time separate from clinical responsibilities, and fair promotion and compensation practices.”

With a particular research interest in antibiotic resistance, Dr. Lerner’s work is at the forefront of global health threats, as noted by the World Health Organization. He educates physicians and the public about the dangerous overuse and misuse of antibiotics through his active involvement in such initiatives as the Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition, Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, and the Pan American Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Antibiotic Resistance in Latin America. Additionally, he serves on the editorial boards of several important journals including Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Drug Resistance Updates, and the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Lerner earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences and a medical degree from Harvard University. He completed an internship and residency in medicine at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, and later served biochemistry and infectious disease fellowships at the National Institutes of Health, Stanford University, Boston City Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Lerner was a faculty member at the University of Chicago from 1972 until 1986, when he joined Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center.

With an impressive publication record, Dr. Lerner has more than 80 journal articles, 12 book chapters, and numerous abstracts and invited lectures.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine is the largest single-campus medical school in the country. Together with the Wayne State University Physician Group, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas including cancer, genetics, women’s and children’s health and the neurosciences.

Editor's Note: Dr. Lerner is a resident of Southfield, Mich.