Dr. Giuseppe Colasurdo, interim president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was named to the post of president permanently effective immediately by the University of Texas System Board of Regents.

Colasurdo, a 53-year-old pediatrician, replaces Dr. Larry Kaiser, who last year was named executive VP for health sciences and CEO of Temple University Health System, as well as dean of the Temple University School of Medicine. Colasurdo is a native of Italy and a U.S. citizen, according to a news release from the center.

“Dr. Colasurdo is an exemplary educator, administrator and clinician, and I have no doubt he is the right leader at the right time,” said UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, in the release.