Bharati Mitra, Ph.D., has been appointed interim Chair of the Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Professor Mitra takes over the position that was formerly held by Robert Frank, M.D., who retired June 30.

A 1990 graduate of Cornell University, Dr. Mittra has been a member of the School of Medicine faculty for 16 years. She was a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on the role of metal transporters in trace metal ion homeostasis.

"I'm honored that the dean has the confidence in me to lead the department during this period," Dr. Mitra said.

A National Institutes of Health-funded researcher, she also is a member of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. She is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Society for the Advancement of Science.

"Dr. Mitra is a respected member of the faculty and a respected medical researcher," said Dean Valerie M. Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. "Her involvement with the School of Medicine and the university as a whole demonstrate her willingness to go the extra mile for our institutions."

Dr. Mitra received the Wayne State University Research Excellence Award in 1999 and the Wayne State University College Teaching Award in 1998 and 2006. In addition to her position as a post-doctoral research advisor, she has served on the School of Medicine's Research Development Committee, the Internal Review Committee for the Department of Biochemistry, the Internal Review Committee for the Department of Pharmacology and the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.

She chairs the university's Graduate Committee and serves on the WSU Graduate Student and Recruiting Committee, the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Teaching Evaluation Committee and the Finance & Governance Committee. She has previously been engaged with several faculty search committees, a student recruiting committee, the Academic Senate, the Graduate-Professional Scholarship Review Committee, and a number of external grant application review committees.

Dr. Mitra said her immediate goals for the department including hiring quality researchers.