Dr. Michael Hehir, a nationally recognized leader in neuromuscular disease education, was invested in January as the inaugural holder of the James F. Howard Jr. Professorship in Neuromuscular Disorders at UVM's Larner College of Medicine.
The endowed professorship was established through a donation by UVM alumni Dr. James F. Howard Jr. and his wife, Adrienne Brown-Howard. The professorship supports clinical research in myasthenia gravis, a chronic neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the voluntary muscles.
Hehir, a professor of neurological sciences at Larner College and chief of neuromuscular medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center, plays a key role in graduate and undergraduate medical education at UVM. He is also a community educator for the MG Foundation and the New England ALS Association, emphasizing evidence-based palliative care.
“Dr. Hehir is clear thinker, a problem solver, a trustworthy colleague and a wonderful person to work and lead with,” said neurological sciences chair Gregory Holmes. “He is incredibly deserving of this (professorship), one of the highest honors our institution can bestow on a faculty member.”