The Board of Trustees of Loma Linda University Health, based in Loma Linda, California, United States, announced that Kyle M. Sousa will become the next dean of the LLU School of Pharmacy on January 2, 2024.

Sousa, who brings more than a decade of research experience in the areas of nuclear receptor biology, drug discovery, metabolic disease, and bariatric surgery, has served as interim dean of the School of Pharmacy since June. He joined the school in 2019 as associate dean for academic affairs and as an associate professor in the pharmaceutical and administrative sciences department.

Sousa was a founding faculty member at West Coast University School of Pharmacy. There he served as interim dean for nearly year and held the title of assistant dean of student affairs from 2014 to 2019. As part of its executive leadership team, Sousa helped navigate the program successfully through the accreditation process.

“Dr. Sousa has driven our cutting-edge, practice-ready curriculum in the School of Pharmacy,” LLUH president Richard Hart said. “His demonstrated leadership skills and rich experience in research will support our culture of advancing medical science.”

Sousa holds a PhD in medical biochemistry from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Michigan and City of Hope National Medical Center. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University.

Sousa said he is grateful for the opportunity and privilege to serve as the dean of the School of Pharmacy.

“We have an extraordinary group of faculty, preceptors, and staff who are all dedicated to providing the best possible education, so our graduates become leaders in the profession and continue serving their communities,” Sousa said. “The students who come to our program are fantastic and at the center of everything we do.”

Sousa said he is excited about the development of a new curriculum, expanding the school’s research footprint, and a new practice plan, which is currently being implemented. “Each of these strategic initiatives will elevate our program and provide new and exciting training opportunities for our student pharmacists," Sousa said.

Sousa follows the school’s previous dean, Michael Hogue, who earlier this year became the chief executive officer and executive vice president for the American Pharmacists Association. Hogue served as dean for four years, during which he led COVID-19 vaccination efforts on campus and throughout San Bernardino County.

The original version of this story was posted on the Loma Linda University Health news site.