The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has announced two significant leadership appointments in the John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM), reinforcing the institution’s commitment to clinical excellence, medical education, and research innovation.
Dr. Antonio Bianco has been named Senior Vice President of Health Affairs and Dean of the John Sealy School of Medicine, while continuing in his role as Chief Research Officer. Bianco, who has served as interim dean since March, becomes the 21st dean in the SOM’s history, a lineage dating back to the school’s founding in 1891.
“Dr. Bianco is an internationally recognized physician-scientist and leader whose vision and expertise will strengthen UTMB’s role as a top-tier academic medical center,” said Dr. Jochen Reiser, UTMB President and CEO of the UTMB Health System. “As dean, he will continue to elevate our academic and research missions while ensuring that UTMB remains a destination for education, discovery, and patient care.”
In his expanded leadership role, Bianco will oversee all aspects of the medical school, aligning its educational programs, clinical training, and research priorities with the UTMB mission to improve health for the people of Texas and beyond.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the next dean of the John Sealy School of Medicine,” said Dr. Bianco. “UTMB has a remarkable legacy of innovation and service dating back more than 130 years, and I look forward to building on that foundation. Together, we will continue to prepare future generations of physicians, advance groundbreaking research, and expand access to the highest quality of care for our patients.”
UTMB also announced the appointment of Dr. Tom Blackwell as Vice Dean of Graduate Medical Education and Clinical Affairs, a newly created role designed to integrate clinical excellence with educational innovation. In this capacity, Blackwell will provide visionary leadership across inpatient, outpatient, procedural, and surgical services while ensuring that quality and safety priorities remain central to the medical education experience. He will also continue to oversee the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program.
“Dr. Blackwell is committed to the wellbeing of the Galveston community, and ensuring patients have the best care available to them,” Reiser said. “He brings visionary leadership across inpatient and outpatient care as well as procedural and surgical services.”
“I am excited to step into this new role at such a pivotal time for UTMB,” said Blackwell. “Our responsibility is twofold: to provide every patient with safe, evidence-based, and compassionate care, and to immerse our students and trainees in a culture where excellence is modeled daily. I look forward to working with our faculty and clinical leaders to strengthen our programs, support our clinicians, and create new opportunities for innovation and mentorship.”
The new Vice Dean position reflects UTMB’s dual responsibility as an academic health center: to deliver outstanding, evidence-based care to every patient while training and inspiring the next generation of physicians. Among Dr. Blackwell’s key priorities will be recruiting and supporting world-class clinicians, strengthening faculty development, embedding quality and safety in education, and leading the creation of a concierge medical practice serving Galveston with exemplary personalized care.
These appointments mark an important milestone in UTMB’s continued advancement of its four pillars—Education, Research, Clinical Care, and Innovation—and reinforce its historic role as the first public medical school in Texas and one of the nation’s leading academic health centers.
In addition to the changes in the John Sealy School of Medicine, UTMB also announced that Dr. Vicente Resto is now Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Faculty Group Practice, reporting to Bianco in the Academic Enterprise. Resto is also Senior Vice President of Surgical Services and Ambulatory Operations within the Health System, reporting to Wayne Keathley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, leading Health System operations.