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 is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.