The UF Office of Research recently announced the assignment of David R. Nelson, M.D., to assistant vice president for collaborative research in the life sciences. In his current position as director of the CTSI, Dr. Nelson has supported university efforts in facilitating interdisciplinary activities in the life and medical sciences. This assignment within the Office of Research formally recognizes the cross-campus mission of the CTSI, and seeks to further capitalize on the strong interdisciplinary capabilities of UF to develop collaborative initiatives in this area.
In this new role, Dr. Nelson will provide leadership in facilitating the formation of disparate groups from across the UF campus in targeting large grant opportunities in the areas of health care and life science, provide campus-wide leadership to promote activities in the life science focusing on translating research to relevance, advise on issues related to the health science research enterprise, and support research centers and institutes across campus. Dr. Nelson will continue his roles as professor of medicine, associate dean for clinical research in the College of Medicine, and director of the CTSI.
Bio in Brief
Dr. Nelson oversees more than 15 active clinical trials, and he has a 15-year track record of NIH funding. He serves as principal investigator on basic science, clinical research and training grants in gastroenterology and hepatobiliary diseases. Dr. Nelson received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate University in Syracuse, subsequently completing a residency in internal medicine at the University of Massachusetts and fellowship training in gastroenterology and hepatology at UF. Dr. Nelson’s area of clinical expertise is hepatology with an emphasis on the management of viral hepatitis and liver cancer. He also has strong translational research interests, focusing primarily on the immunopathogenesis and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma.