I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Julian Hurdle as the new director of the Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Disease (CIID) at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology (IBT). Please join me in congratulating Dr. Hurdle on this recognition of his professional standing and accomplishments.
Professor Hurdle joined the IBT in 2015 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2022. He completed a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Leeds, UK, before undertaking postdocs at University of Tennessee Health Science Center and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. He began his Assistant Professorship at University of Texas Arlington in 2010. Dr. Hurdle is a leader in the infectious disease field focusing on antibiotic resistance. Over the past 9 years, Dr. Hurdle’s research program has grown significantly in national and international recognition and his work on antibiotic resistance spans the gap between basic sciences and clinical applications. Dr. Hurdlehas published over 50 articles in highly regarded scientific journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Antimicrobial Agents and Infectious Diseases, Nature Reviews Microbiology and Current Opinion in Microbiology. In addition, he has received over $9.0 M in grant funding, mainly from the National Institute of Health. Dr. Hurdle was recently awarded the prestigious Texas A&M School of Medicine Senior Faculty Research Excellence Award. Dr. Hurdleserves as a steering committee member of three T32 training grants in the Texas Medical Center and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is also the Director of IBT’s Postdoctoral Training Program. His favorite activities are travelling, especially enjoying the beaches of Barbados with his wife Ellie and their three kids, and supporting his beloved soccer team (Manchester United).
As CIID undergoes this transition in leadership, it is fitting to take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation to Dr. Magnus Hook for his dedicated service to the Center, the IBT and Texas A&M University. During his tenure, Dr. Hook successfully grew the Center’s research portfolio and enabled the recruitment of several talented faculty.
We look forward to continued expansion of our research programs within the CIID and increased collaborative activities within Texas A&M University and across the Texas Medical Center.
Thank you,
Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD
Alkek Chair of Medical Genetics
Professor of Translational Medical Sciences
Executive Director, Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences and Technology
Associate Vice President, Texas A&M University Health Science Center
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Services, The Texas A&M University System
