World-Class Faculty
Texas Tech Health El Paso Faculty Members Awarded the Highest Honor of the Texas Tech University System
Two Texas Tech Health El Paso faculty members were awarded the 2025 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching & Research Awards on Thursday, March 20. The awards are the highest faculty honor of the Texas Tech University System (TTU System).
Debabrata Mukherjee, M.D., M.S., and Salma Elwazeer, B.D.S., M.D.S., M.P.H., were recognized for their outstanding contributions to academia and health sciences, highlighting their dedication to advancing education, research and patient care.
TTU System Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., attended the event to honor the recipients of this esteemed award, alongside Richard Lange, M.D., MBA, who serves as the president of Texas Tech Health El Paso.
Dr. Debabrata Mukherjee: Pioneering cardiovascular research and mentorship
Dr. Mukherjee, Texas Tech Health El Paso chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, is a globally recognized leader in cardiovascular research. He was awarded the 2025 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Research Award for the totality of his research.
With an impressive record of over 600 publications, 20 edited textbooks, and 100 textbook chapters, his research has transformed the way we approach advanced heart care and limb circulation issues. His recent studies on atrial flutter management and anticoagulant safety have been featured in esteemed journals such as International Journal of Angiology and Heart Rhythm.
Beyond research, he is a dedicated mentor, fostering academic excellence and driving impactful scholarly output in his department.
“I feel humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award and hope that this will spur my colleagues to do additional cutting-edge research,” Dr. Mukherjee said. “Research is a team sport, and I am grateful to so many medical students, residents and fellows for choosing to work with me and their contributions.”
Dr. Mukherjee’s current research focuses on redefining how doctors assess risk in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), aiming to ensure patients receive the right therapies more quickly and effectively. ACS is a serious heart condition in which blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked or reduced, often leading to a heart attack or severe chest pain (angina) that can escalate into a heart attack if not treated promptly.
Each year, approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. are hospitalized with ACS, according to the American College of Cardiology. Heart attacks, one of the most common and dangerous forms of ACS, affect about 805,000 Americans annually with someone in the U.S. having a heart attack every 40 seconds. With heart disease remaining the leading cause of death in the country, accounting for one in every five deaths, research like Dr. Mukherjee’s is critical to improving outcomes and saving lives.
Dr. Salma Elwazeer: Innovating public health and dental education
The recipient of the 2025 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award was Dr. Elwazeer, an assistant professor at the Hunt School of Dental Medicine (Hunt SDM) with a cross-appointment as a clinical assistant professor at Foster School of Medicine. She serves as the director of Interprofessional and Public Health Education at Hunt SDM where she is shaping innovative programs that address the unique health care needs of our Borderplex community.
Dr. Elwazeer is honored to be recognized for contributions to public health education at the Hunt School of Dental Medicine.
“This award is a testament to my commitment toto curriculum development, teaching innovation, dental and public health education, and community service,” Dr. Elwazeer said. "I was fortunate to be part of the dental school before its official opening in 2021, playing a pivotal role in conceptualizing and designing the Community Health Certificate curriculum. This innovative program integrates public health principles into 11 courses throughout the four-year dental program."
A Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health and the International College of Dentists, she has been appointed to the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research’s national task force, underscoring her leadership in public health education. Her work integrates clinical prevention and population health into health professions curricula. This approach enriches collaborative learning across disciplines.
"Receiving this award is reaffirms that teaching is about more than delivering information—it’s about inspiring, mentoring, and shaping the next generation of health care professionals,” Dr. Elwazeer said.
The Hunt School of Dental Medicine’s inaugural class will graduate in May.
"The graduation of the dental school's class is a truly historic moment. I have had the privilege of witnessing their transformation from eager learners into skilled, compassionate professionals. I am honored to be among those who supported their journey and shaped their growth” she said.
Chancellor’s Council members foster innovation and success across the TTU System through annual giving. The council’s prestigious Distinguished Teaching & Research Awards are presented to outstanding educators and researchers in recognition of their exemplary scholarship.
“For more than half a century, the passionate supporters of the Chancellor’s Council have helped further the collective goals of the Texas Tech University System, including recognizing and retaining excellence in teaching and research among our world-class faculty,” Mitchell said. “Our faculty members are an integral part of all we do across the TTU System. We are thankful for their contributions to our shared missions of advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach, which ensure a brighter future for countless generations to come.”
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.