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The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) is pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Robert Newton, PhD, and appointment of Dr. Alexander Lohman, PhD. 

Dr. Newton has been reappointed as head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology effective May 1, 2026.

A professor and a vital member of the , Dr. Newton’s core research interests lie in the actions of drugs commonly used to treat asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other inflammatory conditions. His work focuses on understanding the regulation of inflammatory gene expression and mechanisms that may be used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

He is a member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. 

As a student at the University of London, Dr. Newton completed a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Imperial College, a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Thoracic Medicine, Imperial College London.

In his second term as department head he plans to continue to support members of the department and promote change that enhances organizational efficiency. 

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Dr. Lohman has been appointed head of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, effective July 1, 2026, having served in the role on an interim basis for the past year. 

An associate professor in the department for three years, Dr. Lohman has also led the  since 2022.

His research centres on investigating neuroinflammatory dynamics after single and repetitive brain injuries using a multidisciplinary approach that spans neuroscience, immunology, molecular biology and biochemistry. His research has focused on repetitive, mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion, in adolescence. Dr. Lohman’s lab also works to expand the molecular neuroscience toolbox by engineering novel optogenetic proteins and genetically-encoded biosensors to manipulate and monitor neural activity.

He is a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. 

Dr. Lohman completed a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Missouri, a PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics at the University of Virginia, and was a postdoctoral fellow with CSM’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

During his term as department head he aims to take a community-centric approach to support and elevate foundational science in cell biology and anatomy at the University of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½.

Please join me in celebrating both leadership appointments.

Sincerely,

Todd Anderson, MD
Dean, Cumming School of Medicine
University of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½