Karen Frank joins UB’s Jacobs School as chair of pathology and anatomical sciences

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Karen Frank, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, has been appointed Peter A. Nickerson, PhD, Professor and Endowed Chair of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, effective Feb. 15, 2026.

She will serve as president of UBMD Pathology and chief of pathology for Kaleida Health, and will oversee pathology operations at Erie County Medical Center.

“Dr. Frank is an exceptional leader and scientist, and her career has shaped the fields of clinical pathology and microbiology,” said Allison Brashear, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School. “Her expertise and vision will strengthen our mission to educate the next generation of physicians and scientists while driving discovery that transforms health care. We are delighted to welcome her to UB.”

As a senior clinician directing the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the NIH Clinical Center, Frank has overseen clinical laboratory testing essential for first-in-human studies at the nation’s premier research hospital.

Her groundbreaking research on antimicrobial resistance and horizontal gene transfer among Gram-negative bacteria has advanced infectious disease science and informed strategies to combat global health threats.

Since 2022, Frank has been principal investigator of the Clean Med Study at the NIH Clinical Center. This clinical trial examines changes in gut microbiome, metabolomics — small molecule metabolites in blood and urine — and the response of the immune system when healthy adults switch from a traditional Western diet to a Mediterranean-style diet composed of minimally processed foods. Findings from this and related studies aim to deepen understanding of how ultra-processed foods impact biology, with a goal to address the worldwide obesity epidemic.

Frank’s national leadership roles include serving as chair of the Pathology Resident In-Service Exam Committee and president of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists.

She has received numerous honors, including the Secretary of Health and Human Services Award for Meritorious Service, the Gerald T. Evans Award from the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians & Scientists and the NIH Director’s and Clinical Center Director’s awards for mentoring, for responses to the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks and for sterile product safety.

Frank earned her MD and PhD in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a clinical pathology residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a postdoctoral research fellowship in immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute laboratory of Frederick W. Alt, PhD, a renowned scientist recognized for his pioneering work on the mechanisms of genomic stability and immune system diversity in mammalian cells.

Before joining NIH in 2012, Frank rose to the rank of associate professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Chicago.

She has completed the NIH Senior Leadership Program and the yearlong Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) fellowship, further preparing her to lead complex academic and clinical enterprises.

Frank succeeds John Tomaszewski, MD, PhD, who has served as chair of the department since 2011.