NEWS
OKLAHOMA CITY — The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has appointed Kristina Booth, Christina Henson and Mubeen Shakir as assistant deans in its Graduate Medical Education program. The expansion of the leadership team will support advancements in program management, learner assessment and wellness initiatives for residents and fellows.
With new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements on the horizon, the OU College of Medicine is strengthening the connection between the sponsoring institution and its core clinical sites, says Jason Lees, MD, FACS, associate dean of graduate medical education and a general and trauma surgeon at OU Health.
“The role is becoming more expansive, requiring a broader skill set and offering significant opportunities for program development. We are focused on helping directors and coordinators learn best practices from each other and on setting high standards in program quality,” Lees said.
The new assistant deans will help lead the Graduate Medical Education program, supporting the OU College of Medicine. They are:
Kristina Booth, MD, FACS, will serve as assistant dean for program development, learner assessment and wellness. An associate professor in the OU Department of Surgery, she has been associate program director for the general surgery residency for six years, where she launched a well-being curriculum that includes policies for lactating residents, resident competitions and social activities. She has led faculty development efforts, introducing innovative evaluation techniques and is nationally recognized for advancing competency-based education through the Society for Improving Medical Professional Learning and the American Board of Surgery’s Entrustable Professional Activities initiative. She has also contributed to national education projects, presented nationally and mentored associate program directors. Within the OU College of Medicine, she serves on the Academy of Teaching Scholars Executive Committee, is a Student Learning Community Mentor and received the Dewayne Andrews Excellence in GME Teaching award. A native Oklahoman, she earned a bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma Baptist University, a medical degree and surgical training at OU College of Medicine and a fellowship in colorectal surgery at Texas Health Presbyterian/UT Southwestern. In the new role, she will promote GME best practices, support program development and enhance resident wellness initiatives.
Christina Henson, MD, will serve as assistant dean for program assessment and compliance. An associate professor in radiation oncology, she has led the residency program since 2019, achieving full accreditation compliance with zero citations and prioritizing continuous improvement through close collaboration with residents, faculty and coordinators. She is an active member of the OU Graduate Medical Education Committee, serves on the executive committee for the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs and represents the OU College of Medicine to the Association of American Medical College’s Council of Faculty and Academic Societies. Beyond her educational leadership, she is a principal investigator on numerous national trials in cancer therapies, has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and presented nationally. A native Oklahoman and National Merit Scholar, she graduated summa cum laude from OU and completed a medical degree and radiation oncology training at the OU College of Medicine. In this role, she will help programs establish core assessment metrics, improve accreditation compliance and enhance annual program assessments and reviews.
Mubeen Shakir, MD, MPP, will serve as assistant dean for quality and safety. An assistant professor of medicine and chief quality and safety officer for OU Health, he joined OU’s clinical faculty in 2022, providing primary care and serving as an academic hospitalist. He also has an adjunct appointment at the Hudson College of Public Health. His work has focused on patient safety and harm reduction, including co-leading the Quality Safety Service Symposium, developing a patient safety team and significantly reducing hospital-acquired infections. A native Oklahoman, he studied at OU, earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, completed his medical degree at Harvard and trained in internal medicine at Massachusetts General. In this new role, he will lead quality and safety curricula for all graduate medical education learners and enhance resident involvement in quality initiatives within OU Health. The position supports mission alignment and strengthens institutional strategy, ensuring full coordination between the sponsoring institution and clinical learning environments.
“Our efforts to better assess and grow our programs are crucial as we prepare for new requirements that emphasize alignment and integration between sponsoring institutions and health systems. We aim to connect residents with opportunities for quality improvement, safety initiatives and long-term professional development,” Lees said.
In addition to conferring the Doctor of Medicine degree, the OU College of Medicine offers post graduate residencies and fellowships in numerous specialties and subspecialties. Learn more.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university with campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. In Oklahoma City, OU Health Sciences is one of the nation’s few academic health centers with seven health profession colleges located on the same campus. OU Health Sciences serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is the leading research institution in Oklahoma. For more information about OU Health Sciences, visit www.ouhsc.edu.
Doris Benbrook, Ph.D., a Presbyterian Health Foundation Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, has been named Associate Director for Translational Research at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center in Oklahoma.
The Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences will gain a new deputy director, Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., effective January 1. Potthoff will also hold the title of Harold Hamm Endowed Chair in Clinical Diabetes Research and professor of biochemistry and physiology, with a secondary appointment in the division of neurology in the OU School of Medicine.
James George, M.D., and Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, M.D., were recognized by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) during its annual meeting Dec. 7-10.
