Jochen Reiser, MD
President, University of Texas Medical Branch
Chief Executive Officer, UTMB Health System
Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, is president of The University of Texas Medical Branch and CEO of the UTMB Health System. He is also a professor in the John Sealy School of Medicine and is the John D. Stobo, MD Distinguished Chair. A physician-scientist and executive with a strong interest in higher learning, improving health and quality of life in Texas and beyond, he is committed to advancing UTMB Health’s historic mission in education, research, clinical care, and innovation.
Dr. Reiser is a member of the world’s oldest National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina and an internationally recognized research leader in kidney disease, with expertise spanning molecular biology, genetics, and immunology. His scientific discoveries have opened new lines of inquiry and significantly advanced novel therapies for renal diseases, several of which are currently in active clinical trials. In 2025, he was awarded the prestigious Marilyn G. Farquhar Lifetime Research Achievement Award by the International Society of Glomerular Disease. The award honors individuals whose research has been foundational to understanding glomerular biology or the pathobiology of glomerular disease.
In 2025, Dr. Reiser was also named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. This recognition reflects his sustained commitment to translating scientific discovery into real-world solutions that advance health care and improve lives.
Dr. Reiser earned his MD and PhD degrees (summa cum laude) from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He completed postdoctoral and residency training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He completed a fellowship in nephrology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Prior to joining UTMB Health in 2023, Dr. Reiser served in faculty and leadership roles at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School in Boston.