The University of Iowa has announced the two final candidates for the position of vice president of Medical Affairs and dean of the Carver College of Medicine.

The UI has been searching for a new person to take over those leadership positions since 2016 after Jean Robillard, current UI vice president for Medical Affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, announced Sept. 30, 2016 he would step down from the positions. Robillard will remain a UI faculty member.

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The first finalist for the position, John M. Carethers, visited the UI Oct. 3 to participate in a public forum and meet with the UI community. Carethers is a professor of human genetics and chair of the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan.

Jay Brooks Jackson, the second finalist, is a professor of laboratory medicine and pathology, dean of the medical school, and vice president for health sciences at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

He will visit campus on Monday to meet with faculty and staff at UI Health Care and will participate in a public forum from 5 to 6 p.m. that evening.

The position’s search committee offers the public opportunity to evaluate both finalists on its website.

UI President Bruce Harreld will select and announce Robillard’s replacement later this fall, according to the announcement.

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Harreld said Oct. 5 during his annual State of the University Address he thinks both candidates would be a world-class addition to the UI.

“I think both candidates … are top-notch leaders,” he said. “… I think they’re intrigued because of our position as one of the top medical-research facilities in the United States.”

At a time when many academic hospital systems have been distancing themselves from their university, Harreld said he views the integration between the UI and its medical research as a strategic advantage.

“I’m pretty optimistic that we’re going to come out on the right end of this with a great new leader in the next week or two,” he said.

Marissa Payne contributed to this story.