Paola A. Gehrig, MD, will begin her new role on June 27. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia.
Paola A. Gehrig, MD, has been appointed Chair of the University of Virginia Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Gehrig joined the UNC School of Medicine faculty in 2000, and became Director of UNC Gynecologic Oncology in 2011.
“I am sad to lose the steady and amazing leadership that Dr. Gehrig has provided on L&D and in her role as the Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology. She has been a great friend and mentor to many in the department. However, I am truly thrilled for Dr. Gehrig’s once in a lifetime opportunity to be the chair at one of the premier institutions in the country and for the University where she started in her career in obstetrics and gynecology,” said Genevieve Neal-Perry, MD, PhD, Robert A. Ross Distinguished Professor and chair of the UNC School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Gehrig specializes in gynecologic oncology and is an expert in advanced laparoscopy and robotic-assisted surgery. She has mentored more than 30 medical students, residents, fellows and faculty on research projects. She received multiple teaching awards from medical students and OB-GYN residents. UNC Health also honored her with leadership awards six years in a row, and she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UVA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2015.
She has extensive research experience, having co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and serving as principal investigator on a National Cancer Institute grant to study ovarian cancer. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, is a member of the Gynecologic Oncology section for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is an associate editor for the scientific journal Gynecologic Oncology.