Patrick W. Bankston, PhD

Bio

Dr. Patrick Bankston received his Ph.D. in Anatomy from the University of Chicago in 1973.  After a short stint at the former Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia (now Drexel U School of Medicine), he joined the Indiana University School of Medicine faculty in 1978 as an Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology.  He has spent his entire career as an educator, researcher and administrator at the Indiana University School of Medicine – Northwest in Gary, rising through the academic ranks, to become Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology in 1991, with a joint appointment as Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  His research career has focused on capillary cell biology where he has published numerous research papers, including one collaborating with Nobel Prize recipient Dr. George Palada. He has been active in medical education pedagogy, especially in the areas of Problem-based Learning and Competency Education. In 1996 he became one of the pioneering designers of the School of Medicine Competency-Enhanced Curriculum and served as one of nine statewide Competency Directors responsible for design and implementation of this innovative and nationally recognized curriculum.  He was appointed Associate Dean and Director of Indiana University School of Medicine – Northwest in 2005 and Founding Dean of the new College of Health and Human Services at IU Northwest in 2006. That college has six health related undergraduate programs including Nursing, Health Information Management, Radiological Sciences, Dental Education, School of Public and Environmental Sciences and the Division of Social Work.