Vice President of Interprofessional Education and the Health Education Center
University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)

Dr. Katie Branch is the Vice President for Interprofessional Education and the Health Education Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and holds the Peter K. Thompson, MD Distinguished Professorship Endowment. She provides leadership for UTMB’s Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice, the Interprofessional Simulation Center, the Office of Life Support Education and Training, Office of Interprofessional Continuing Education, and Classroom Services.

A recognized leader in simulation-based learning and interprofessional education, Dr. Branch has extensive experience in building institutional capacity to support collaborative, technology-enhanced learning across health professions. Her commitment to patient safety and advancing innovation in healthcare education has driven the development and implementation of immersive simulation experiences that bridge academic learning and clinical practice.

In 2024, Dr. Branch received the Excellence in Innovation in the Field of Virtual Simulation Award from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and was inducted as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.