Lecture series focusing on military health research returns to UT Health San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – On Thursday, April 28, Military Health Institute (MHI) at UT Health San Antonio hosted its first Distinguished Lecture series since late 2019, featuring key military leaders speaking about military health.  Titled The Future of Military Health Research, this year’s event welcomed U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Dr.) Ronald Place.

Lt. Gen. Ron Place spoke to an audience of city and county leaders, including members of the medical and military community inside the Long School of Medicine lecture hall. The event was available to attendees either online or in-person.

“This year we were honored to host Lieutenant General (LTG) Ronald Place, who is the Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA),” said Byron Hepburn, M.D., FAAFP (Maj. Gen., USAF, Ret.) and director of the Military Health Institute. “In this role, LTG Ron Place oversees the care provided by the entire Military Health System. Starting September 1, he will also be responsible for all military health research. We are confident Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Place’s presentation would be most informative and of interest to ‘Military City USA.’”

Board certified in both general surgery and colorectal surgery, Dr. Place authored more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Lt. Gen. Place’s distinguished medical career includes multiple deployments as General Surgeon, supporting combat operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. He is also well-decorated, receiving numerous awards and medals of honor for his leadership, bravery and valor.

Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) has offices located at Joint Base San Antonio. The DHA will direct all military research, including clinical and medical at the JBSA location.

Pictured (left to right): Dr. Byron Hepburn, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place and Dr. William Henrich

MHI Distinguished Lecture focuses on topics relevant to the military, veterans and the community. It is an opportunity to educate faculty, students and community partners on current advances in military medical care and research, plus foster collaboration and engagement.

The foundation of MHI stands on four main pillars: research support, education, clinical advocacy and engagement. Each pillar speaks to MHI’s mission to strengthen the military health activities of UT Health San Antonio and to improve the lives of service members, veterans and their families.

MHI has plans for future speaking engagements, including a Military Experience Lecture in the summer, and a Distinguished Lecture in the fall. For more information about the Military Health Institute at UT Health San Antonio, visit militaryhealthinstitute.org.


The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also referred to as UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated 39,700 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit http://www.uthscsa.edu.

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