Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune
National
Jayme Lozano Carver

Deborah Birx, former COVID-19 White House adviser, to join Texas Tech’s health center


LUBBOCK — Deborah L. Birx, the doctor and public health expert who served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator during the peak of the pandemic, is joining the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.

Birx will serve as the center’s presidential adviser and an adjunct professor at the Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health, the university announced Wednesday.

“Dr. Birx brings with her a distinguished background in global health and is known for leading improvements in health care on a national scope,” said President Lori Rice-Spearman said. “We are honored to have her on the team and excited to welcome her to the TTUHSC family.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Birx worked closely with state officials and then-President Donald Trump on decision making and public health guidance. Birx has also focused much of her career on HIV and AIDS. She served as the director of the CDC’s Division of Global HIV/AIDS, then overseeing the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2014.

“Her expertise will greatly contribute to efforts in yielding science in service to people as we work with community partners to identify and address health challenges specifically in rural areas of West Texas,” Rice-Spearman said.

Birx’s position is partially funded with a gift from the Permian Strategic Partnership, a coalition of energy companies that focuses on education, road safety and health care among other issues in West Texas.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.


The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and what’s ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.