School of Medicine Dean Dr. Michael J. Stamos appointed interim vice chancellor of Health Affairs
Under his leadership, medical school has climbed research rankings, doubled fundraising and more
Irvine, Calif. — Chancellor Howard Gillman announced in a statement that Dean Michael J. Stamos, MD, has been appointed as interim vice chancellor of UC Irvine Health Affairs, effective July 15, 2026. Stamos will continue to serve as dean of the School of Medicine.
He succeeds Dr. Steve Goldstein, MD, PhD, who has accepted a new role as president of the University of New Mexico. Goldstein served as vice chancellor of Health Affairs since 2019.
Stamos joined the School of Medicine in 2002, where he established the Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery in the Department of Surgery. In 2010, he became chair of the department. In July 2017, he was named dean of the medical school.
Under his leadership, the school has steadily climbed in national research rankings and has received the highest accreditation possible from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA) Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The school has more than doubled its fundraising, greatly increased its research funding, developed new mission-based educational programs, substantially enlarged its full-time faculty and grown its applicant pool.
Stamos has also been a key contributor to the success of UCI Health and as a partner across UC Irvine by actively fostering collaborations within and beyond the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences (COHS), which includes the School of Medicine, the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, and the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, has been the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, since 1976. The 1,461-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Health — Orange, its flagship hospital, the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital and medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Health — Orange provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).