UT Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation appoints Marco Brotto as George W. and Hazel M. Jay Professor
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Marco Brotto, an internationally renowned scientist with joint appointments at the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been named the George W. and Hazel M. Jay Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at The University of Texas at Arlington.
Dr. Brotto is an expert in muscle and bone physiology, sarcopenia and excitation contraction coupling and is currently the Dale and Dorothy Thompson/Missouri Endowed Professor for Nursing Research and director of the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Muscle Biology Research Group. He joins UTA in August.
UTA President Vistasp Karbhari said Dr. Brotto’s international reputation and research leadership will accelerate the University’s growth in the health sciences area, strengthen the College’s interdisciplinary research and teaching excellence under the University’s Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact and enhance the University’s relationships with the medical and health sciences communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan area.
“Dr. Brotto’s distinguished career in health sciences – and his internationally recognized research focus on understanding the cellular and molecular basis of muscle atrophy and weakness that come with aging – make him an extraordinary addition to the UTA faculty,” Karbhari said. “He exemplifies a modern teacher-scholar, and his inter- and trans- disciplinary background and approach will not only add to our research and teaching strengths, but will also help forge new partnerships between our colleges of Nursing and Health Innovation, Engineering and Science.
“His appointment will help enable UTA to address current and future challenges in healthcare in an even more meaningful way, and further amplify our reputation as the model 21st Century Urban Research University.”
Anne Bavier, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, said Dr. Brotto’s international reputation will position him as a key player as the University advances in its mission of becoming a renowned health sciences research institution.
“Dr. Brotto and his team conduct pioneering work that supports rich synergies in the disciplines of kinesiology, medicine, biology and nursing, and will provide opportunities for scholar scientists in our disciplines to work together to advance health and the human condition,” Dean Bavier said. In addition to his appointment as professor, Dr. Brotto will also serve as director of Muscle and Bone Collaborative Sciences, and director of the Ph.D. in Nursing program.
In speaking about his decision to join the UT Arlington faculty, Dr. Brotto noted the recent creation of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, the visionary integration of nursing and kinesiology, and the chance to work closely with researchers in biomedical engineering and the life sciences. He said UT Arlington offers “incredible opportunities for human translational research, from bench to bedside and beyond.”
Dr. Brotto’s appointment is supported in part by the University of Texas System Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention, or STARS program. The program provides additional startup funding needed to attract scholars with exceptional records of research, teaching, and creative activity. STARS funding will allow Dr. Brotto to move quickly to create a resource-rich scientific laboratory and to establish UTA as a leader in his areas of research.
Chris Ray, associate dean for research in the UT Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation, said Dr. Brotto will bring the university extraordinary experience and senior standing. “He is a natural leader and mentor. We expect his continued success and feel he will provide tremendous guidance to both our students and junior faculty.”
Dr. Brotto earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing, as well as a master’s degree in pharmacology, at the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil. He completed three fellowships at the Medical College of Georgia in Muscle Physiology and Biophysics and the Heart Development Group before earning his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from Trinity College (Oxford), England in 1999.
After a post-doctoral fellowship and serving as an instructor at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Brotto served as a member of the faculty at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University from 2003 to 2007. He has served as a faculty member and in leadership positions at the University of Missouri at Kansas City since 2007.
Dr. Brotto also has served as International Visiting Professor and Scholar at the Brazilian Council for Research, and Scientific Director of the Center for Biomedical Research at the College of Sciences and Technology, Brazil. He has won extensive funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging, the American Heart Association, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among other sources.
Dr. Brotto serves on the editorial board of several journals. He has over 80 peer reviewed, and numerous highly cited, publications in journals such as Aging, Aging Cell, Cell Research, Journal of Cell Biology, Nature Cell Biology, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cell Cycle, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Nursing Research; and more than 300 peer reviewed abstracts for presentations at national and international scientific meetings.
About the UT Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation
The UT Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation provides world class education to almost 19,000 nursing and kinesiology students, emphasizing scientific research, evidence-based practice, and hands-on learning in the internationally recognized Smart Hospital, as well as at clinical partner facilities. Students in campus based and online programs pass licensure exams at rates that exceed the national average, and go on to become leaders in education, clinical care, health sciences, and health care administration. Visit http://www.uta.edu/nursing/to learn more.
About The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of more than 50,600 students in campus-based and online degree programs and is the second-largest institution in The University of Texas System. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked UT Arlington as one of the 20 fastest-growing public research universities in the nation in 2014. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Arlington fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity. The University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is ranked as a “Best for Vets” college by Military Times magazine. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more, and find UT Arlington rankings and recognition at http://www.uta.edu/uta/about/rankings.php
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