Liang Appointed as Medical School Dean

Dr. Bruce Liang is an internationally renowned cardiologist and researcher, who has held several leadership positions at UConn Health.

Dr. Bruce Liang, dean of the School of Medicine. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Dr. Bruce Liang, dean of the School of Medicine. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Dr. Bruce Liang has been appointed as Dean of the UConn School of Medicine.

“Bruce is an exceptional, inclusive, and visionary leader who has been committed to achieving excellence in research and scholarship in the School of Medicine and UConn Health,” said University Provost and Executive Vice President Mun Y. Choi in announcing the appointment.

Liang is an internationally renowned cardiologist and researcher, who has made important contributions to signaling mechanisms that regulate cardiovascular functions using both cellular and pharmacological approaches.

He joined UConn Health in 2002 as chief of the Division of Cardiology and as the Ray Neag Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine. He has held several leadership roles at UConn Health, including serving as interim dean in 2011 and 2015, and as director of the nationally recognized Pat and Jim Calhoun Center for Cardiology since 2003.

“With the investment through Bioscience Connecticut Next Generation Connecticut, JAXGM collaboration, and the University academic plan,” says Choi, “the School of Medicine is poised to become one of the premier medical schools in the United States.” He says Liang will work closely with all of the stakeholders in the School of Medicine and at UConn Health to meet this goal by developing innovative curriculum and recruitment programs for medical and doctoral students, enhancing diversity, identifying priorities for investment through Bioscience Connecticut, increasing philanthropic support, and supporting cross-campus collaborations.

“With his extensive experience and knowledge,” says Choi, “Bruce is well positioned to lead the School of Medicine to the next level of research and educational excellence.

Liang is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Council on Clinical Cardiology and Basic Cardiovascular Sciences. He is also a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

A native of Taiwan, he is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, and completed a residency in medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed a research fellowship in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a clinical fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Liang’s teaching career began in 1987, when he was an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and was later appointed assistant professor. Prior to his appointment at the UConn School of Medicine, he spent 13 years on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.