Lesse Named Medical Curriculum Dean

Lesse has served as interim dean since January.

He will continue as vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine and chief of infectious disease for the VA Western New York Healthcare System.

Lesse is an associate professor of medicine, pharmacology and toxicology and microbiology and immunology.

He teaches extensively in the medical school, working with everyone from first-year medical students to senior fellows in infectious diseases.

His pedagogical skills have been recognized by, among others, the Siegel Committee for Teaching and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

In 2014 he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, a testament to his innovative methodologies and commitment to students.

Lesse’s clinical work focuses on infectious diseases. He's particularly interested in Staphylococcus aureas, which causes a range of infections from minor skin problems to life-threatening endocarditis.

His research aims to better understand Staph infections, particularly complications related to bloodstream infections.

He uses advanced molecular biology techniques to identify bacterial virulence factors.

Lesse received his bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Virginia.

He completed his internal medicine residency at Temple University and clinical/research fellowships in infectious diseases at UVA.