VCU news

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley
Division of University Relations

Virginia Commonwealth University announced today that Dr. Bruce K. Rubin has been named chair of the Department of Pediatrics, effective July 1, and will hold a professorship in the VCU School of Engineering.

Rubin comes to VCU after 12 years at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he is professor and vice chair for research in the pediatrics department, professor of physiology and pharmacology and professor of biomedical engineering with the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences.

Rubin is a pediatric pulmonary expert and was recently selected as the recipient of the 2008 Forrest M. Bird Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award, a top research honor given by the American Respiratory Care Foundation and the American Association of Respiratory Care, among other honors. He is on the editorial board of 12 pulmonary journals, has published more than 200 research papers and chapters and holds five patents. He is listed in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering and Best Doctors in America.

“Dr. Rubin brings a wide of variety of skills to this important position in the School of Medicine and the VCU Health System. He will advance the care of our community’s children to a new level of excellence and through his skills as a clinical scientist and educator, he will bring forward new therapies for pulmonary disease and inspire the next generation of pediatric specialists,” said Jerome F. Strauss, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine. “The City of Richmond and the surrounding region should be proud that an individual with Dr. Rubin’s amazing record of professional accomplishments is assuming a leadership role in our health system.”

Rubin’s specific clinical and research interests include cystic fibrosis, childhood asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Rubin and his research team study aerosol therapy for lung diseases, airway inflammation and excessive mucus that contributes to lung disease.

“I am delighted with the people at the VCU Medical Center and their enthusiasm and passion for children’s health and research,” Rubin said. “I look forward to working with faculty and staff to strengthen pediatric clinical care, research and education. I especially enjoy helping to mentor young clinicians and scientists and will work to recruit first-class students who will become world class pediatricians.”

Prior to joining the Wake Forest University faculty, Rubin was a professor and clinician at St. Louis University School of Medicine; at the University of Alberta, Canada, department of pediatrics; and at Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario’s department of pediatrics.

Rubin received his undergraduate bachelor of science in math and physics, master of engineering and medical degrees from Tulane University in New Orleans. He was a Rhodes Scholar, conducting postdoctoral work in biomedical engineering at Oxford University. He also earned an MBA at Wake Forest University.

In addition, Rubin is an enthusiastic magician, with membership in the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Rubin said that as he has done in the past, he intends to teach magic to medical school interns and residents. “It is another great way to communicate with our patients,” he said.

Rubin’s appointment is subject to the approval of the VCU Board of Visitors, which meets in May.