Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Names New School of Medicine Dean and Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs

• By Suzanna Cisneros
• February 23, 2024
• Education

John C. DeToledo, M.D., has been named the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine dean and executive vice president for clinical affairs, the university announced today (Feb. 23).

DeToledo, the TTUHSC Vernon & Elizabeth Haggerton Chair of Neurology, has served as the founding chair for the Department of Neurology since 2009 and currently is the interim School of Medicine dean. DeToledo succeeds Steven L. Berk, M.D., who led the School of Medicine as dean from 2006 to 2023.                                          

“We are fortunate to have Dr. DeToledo continue in this leadership role for the School of Medicine,” TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., said. “He has a great commitment and philosophy to academic medicine that reflects our TTUHSC values-based culture, and he brings a wealth of expertise to the table for an academic health institution as a clinician, clinic manager and physician-scientist.”

As dean and executive vice president, DeToledo will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the TTUHSC School of Medicine and oversee Texas Tech Physicians, the medical practice of the TTUHSC School of Medicine that operates primary- and specialty-care clinics in Amarillo, Lubbock and Permian Basin communities. He will lead faculty and staff in strategic planning, securing resources, and implementing and evaluating activities related to the academic, research, service and patient care operations.

“As an established educator, physician and chairman, Dr. DeToledo has a strong understanding of the School of Medicine and its clinical practice,” TTUHSC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Darrin D'Agostino, D.O., said. “He is a respected leader committed to preparing the next generation of clinicians and providing exceptional health care for the communities we serve.”

DeToledo received his medical degree from the University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil. He completed his medical internship at Columbia University; his neurology training at Boston University and the Boston City Hospital; and his fellowship in epilepsy and neurophysiology at the Oregon Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, later serving as the Cornelia Wheeler Division Chief of Epilepsy. 

DeToledo’s past professional experiences include serving as chief of the Division of Epilepsy and Neurophysiology and as the neurology residency program director at George Washington University; co-director of the International Center for Epilepsy at the University of Miami; chief of Epilepsy and Neurophysiology and chief of the Magnetoencephalography Laboratory at Wake Forest University; chair of the Texas Tech Physicians Medical Practice Income Plan; and chief of staff at University Medical Center. 

DeToledo’s research focuses on pharmacology and treatments for epilepsy. He is the author of numerous publications and has been a visiting professor and lecturer nationally and internationally in the field of epilepsy and the pharmacology of new antiepileptic drugs. 

He also served on U.S. and international conferences (as chair); scientific advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies; numerous journal editorial boards; and the prestigious J. Kiffin Penry Epilepsy MiniFellowship Program. 

“At Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, we all share great pride in our 50-year history as innovators, training exceptional health care providers poised to transform the health of the communities in the region and beyond,” DeToledo said. “Without a doubt, the success of the TTUHSC School of Medicine stems from the caliber of our students and team members. I am honored beyond words to serve as the dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president for clinical affairs and to contribute to a legacy of service and excellence.”

The TTUHSC School of Medicine is a nationally recognized school accomplishing its academic, research and clinical missions across locations in Lubbock, Amarillo and the Permian Basin. Since its start in 1969, the school has been the cornerstone of medical education in West Texas, producing more than 5,000 physicians. More than 26% of the physicians currently practicing in West Texas are graduates of TTUHSC’s medical school and/or its residency programs. 

Texas Tech Physicians is the medical practice of the School of Medicine and serves as the base for the clinical education of medical students and residents and as a major source of care for citizens of West Texas.