SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WJPF) – A pediatrician with ties to SIU has been named the new director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Dr. Sameer Vohra will take the reins on August 1. He replaces Dr. Ngozi Ezike who resigned in March to take a job in the private sector.

Previously, Dr. Vohra was the founding chair of SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Population Science and Policy and worked on increasing access to healthcare in rural areas. He’s also a graduate of the SIU School of Law and holds degrees in public policy and political science.