Pennelope Kunkle

Program Manager

Pennelope Kunkle is the Program Manager in the Transformation Office of the Office of the Provost, working closely with Dr. Salim Hayek to provide project management, communication and coordination of our internal and external partners integral to the transformation and growth of research at UTMB.

Prior to joining UTMB in 2024, Ms. Kunkle spent 20 years of her career in medical research, with experience in both basic sciences and clinical research. She was Project Manager for the CardioBiomarkers Lab at the University of Michigan under Dr. Hayek with a healthy portfolio of NIH-funded, industry-initiated and investigator-initiated clinical trials, as well as complimentary translational research utilizing experimental models.

Ms. Kunkle also spent several years as Project Manager in the Biomedical Resource Core Facilities at the University of Michigan, where she revamped the training and rate system for the Microscopy and Imaging Laboratory. Ms. Kunkle also held positions at State University of New York at StonyBrook (formerly known as StonyBrook University), and Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Ms. Kunkle earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the University of California, San Diego. She is a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

Ms. Kunkle has three children who are the center of her world and all outside activities. She enjoys travelling the world with her family, playing board games and recreational sports, and enjoys the great outdoors.