Washington, D.C., March 6, 2009—The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) announced today that Ann C. Bonham, Ph.D., will be the association's new chief scientific officer. Dr. Bonham, who currently serves as executive associate dean for academic affairs and professor of pharmacology and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine (UC Davis), will join the AAMC on July 1.

"Dr. Bonham is an accomplished scientist and a dynamic and innovative leader," said AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D. "She has sparked unprecedented public and private research collaborations at UC Davis and helped lead her institution to winning one of the first Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her credentials, skills, and experience are an exceptional match for the position of AAMC chief scientific officer."

"I can think of no greater privilege than to be part of the AAMC and to serve as a strong voice and advocate for research and research training on behalf of the nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals," said Dr. Bonham. "AAMC members have led the way in discoveries that promote health and enhance the treatment of disease. I look forward to working with them as we continue our efforts to support and improve the research so critical to our national and global health."

A member of the University of California, Davis, faculty for nearly 20 years, Dr. Bonham played a major role in UC Davis's expansion of basic biomedical sciences and exemplified its school of medicine's emphasis on combining research, education, and mentoring as interwoven missions.

As executive associate dean, she oversaw the school's research, undergraduate medical education, and faculty academic programs. Dr. Bonham also played an integral leadership role in UC Davis receiving one of the first CTSA grants from the NIH, and served as chair of the UC Davis NIH Clinical and Translational Science Center's Executive Committee. During her tenure, the school of medicine's federal research funding increased by almost 60 percent. Research training grants also nearly tripled and included a Howard Hughes Medical Institute training grant, "Integrating Medical Knowledge into Graduate Education," on which Dr. Bonham was the program director.

Dr. Bonham previously served as chair of the department of pharmacology, where over a two-year period she rebuilt the department. She also was vice chair of research for the department of internal medicine and associate chief of research for and acting chief of the division of cardiovascular medicine.

In addition to her distinguished credentials in the research arena, Dr. Bonham is well acquainted with the AAMC, its programs, and its members, having served as a representative to four AAMC professional development groups on educational affairs; institutional planning; graduate research, education, and training; and research advancement and development. She also was the women's liaison officer from UC Davis to the association.

Dr. Bonham earned her doctoral degree in pharmacology from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1986. Prior to joining the UC Davis faculty, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University School of Medicine in 1989.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 131 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 128,000 faculty members, 75,000 medical students, and 110,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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