David A. Morilak

David A. Morilak is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He serves as Director of the Neuroscience discipline of the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program and Director of the Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, while also holding the Quincy and Estine Lee Endowed Chair position.

Dr. Morilak earned his undergraduate degree from Muskingum University, a small liberal arts institution in rural Ohio, and completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Princeton University. He has been at UT Health San Antonio for 27 years as of 2021.

His research spans the breadth of neuroscience, from membrane biochemistry to neuroimaging and cognitive neuropsychology, with applications to understanding and treating diseases of the brain and nervous system. Dr. Morilak's work emphasizes collaborative approaches across diverse neuroscience disciplines.

Dr. Morilak received the Faculty Senate Administration Leadership Award in 2021, recognizing his outstanding, long-term contributions to the Health Science Center Administration that promote faculty development, welfare, and enhanced research and teaching environments.

As an educator, Dr. Morilak oversees numerous trainees including seven students from the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program. He serves as Principal Investigator of a long-standing T32 training grant that supports high-caliber graduate student recruitment and professional development programs, significantly contributing to faculty teaching and research productivity.

Dr. Morilak directs the Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (CBN), which represents over 120 faculty members from six basic science and 13 clinical departments across multiple schools. The CBN brings approximately $45 million annually in NIH funding and $75 million total funding to the institution, representing 45% of all NIH funding at UT Health San Antonio. The center sponsors annual events including the San Antonio Brain Health Symposium and participates in community outreach through Brain Awareness Week activities.