Samar R. El Khoudary, Ph.D., appointed chair of the Department of Epidemiology
The VCU School of Public Health is pleased to announce Samar R. El Khoudary, Ph.D., M.P.H., F.A.H.A., will serve as the chair of the Department of Epidemiology, beginning September 1, 2025.
El Khoudary joins us from the University of Pittsburgh, where she served as professor and vice chair for education in the Department of Epidemiology. She is a globally recognized cardiovascular and women’s health epidemiologist, whose research focuses on the menopause transition and cardiovascular disease. El Khoudary’s research has been instrumental in elucidating the mechanisms linking menopause and cardiovascular disease risk. Her pioneering work, particularly from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), the longest and largest study of the menopause transition in the US, has demonstrated how lipid profiles, vascular health, and metabolic function change over the menopause transition. Notably, she chaired the first American Heart Association Scientific Statement on menopause and cardiovascular disease in 2020 and served on the Menopause Priority Setting Partnership across 51 countries in 2024, to identify leading menopause research priorities. In addition to her research, she has unwavering commitment to shaping the next generation of epidemiologists. El Khoudary made substantial contributions to graduate training, curriculum development, and student mentorship. She played a pivotal role in guiding academic programming, teaching excellence, and student engagement within the Pitt Public Health Epidemiology department. She is a dedicated mentor to students, research fellows and junior faculty.
El Khoudary is an active member of the American Heart Association, and a board of trustees’ member of the Menopause Society. She is an elected Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) on the Epi-council and serves as a grant reviewer for national and international funding institutions including the American Heart Association, The Swiss National Science Foundation, The Dutch Heart Foundation, Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council, and the Dutch Organization for knowledge and innovation in health, healthcare and well-being. El Khoudary is an associate editor of the American Heart Journal Plus Elsevier, and an Editorial board member of Menopause and the Journal of the American Heart Association.
As Chair of the Department of Epidemiology, El Khoudary is excited to share her extensive experience, leadership and passion in an environment where faculty and staff are motivated, empowered, and rewarded to support the future generations of public health researchers and practitioners to advance the field with no boundaries.
“I’m honored to step into the role of Chair for the Department of Epidemiology. I take on this responsibility with deep respect for our shared work and a strong commitment to supporting all faculty, staff and students,” El Khoudary said. “This is a moment for renewed collaboration, fresh ideas, and shared purpose. I look forward to listening, learning, and working together to shape a future we can all be proud of.”
The School would like to thank Roy Sabo, Ph.D., for serving as interim chair of the Department for the last year and leading the search to fill this role. He will return to his home Department of Biostatistics as professor. Sabo continues to serve as the Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs for the School.
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