WASHINGTON – The Howard University College of Medicine recently announced that Dean Andrea A. Hayes Dixon, MD, has been appointed chair of the Scientific Management Review Board at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This prestigious appointment is effective immediately and will extend through June 2026. 

Hayes Dixon’s has been a trailblazer in medical education and research, and this appointment to the Scientific Management Review Board represents a significant milestone in her distinguished career. She became the first African American woman in the nation to achieve board certification in pediatric surgery in 2004, and the first woman to serve as dean of the Howard University College of Medicine in 2022. Her newest role reflects her exceptional leadership and expertise in advancing scientific research and management within the federal health sector. 

The Scientific Management Review Board plays a critical role in supervising and reviewing the management and operations of scientific research programs within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The board is expected to benefit from Hayes Dixon’s leadership and extensive experience in medical science and education. 

“The Scientific Management Review Board has made significant strides in improving the oversight and management of scientific research programs,” Hayes Dixon said. “I look forward to contributing to the board’s continued success as we work to advance scientific discovery and enhance public health.” 

At the Howard University College of Medicine, Hayes Dixon oversees all aspects of academic and administrative affairs. She also leads a basic science laboratory focused on rare sarcomas and maintains clinical research efforts, specializing in refractory and resistant tumors in children, particularly soft tissue sarcomas. Her expertise attracts patients from around the world who seek her specialized care. 

Before joining Howard University, Hayes Dixon served as the Surgeon-in-Chief and Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery at the University of North Carolina Children’s Hospital, where she was also a professor of Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Oncology. Additionally, she has served as the section chief of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced two Schwarzman Scholars, four Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American PhD. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media contact: Sholnn Freeman; sholnn.freeman@howard.edu