CTSI COO departs from UF after 27 years of service

We are sad to announce the departure of Brian Sevier, PhD, at the end of July as he embarks on an exciting new opportunity with Yale. Brian has dedicated 27 years to supporting UF and its research enterprises in various roles, the most recent of which has been serving as Chief Operations Officer for the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Brian first joined CTSI’s leadership team in 2019 and has since played an instrumental role in helping to operationalize and implement a multitude of clinical research and health science training programs lead by research experts at UF. He’s also served as an ambassador for university-industry partnerships that have helped streamline the clinical trial process and accelerate the translation of clinical research into real-world impact.   

Prior to joining CTSI, Brian humbly began his decades of service to the university in 1995 as a clerk typist for UF Transportation and Parking. Not long after, Brian was hired by UF’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences where he’d spend the next 14 years of his career serving in various managerial positions and cultivating his experience as a leader. He would also go on to become a triple Gator, with a BS in Food & Resource Economics and a minor in Business Administration, a Masters in Agribusiness, and a PhD in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, with a specialization in Operations Management. It was during this time, that Brian developed and exercised his love of growing things as well as his passion for engaging with people wherever they are. Brian’s tenure with UF/IFAS eventually culminated in his promotion to Assistant Director of UF/IFAS Sponsored Programs, which later merged into UF Contracts and Grants in 2009. While this role marked the conclusion of his time with UF/IFAS, it also served as the beginning of his transition into leadership opportunities within UF’s academic health center.

As the Associate Director for C&G, Brian helped to oversee accounting services for grants and contracts that supported projects across UF’s health colleges and programs. Then, in 2012, Brian began the next chapter in his professional journey by joining the UF Health Cancer Center as its Associate Director for Clinical Trials. This transition helped catalyze his ongoing career in clinical research. Brian maintains immense gratitude towards the members of his team at the UFHCC who helped guide him in this role and continue to serve as an invaluable source of insight and support throughout the remainder of his time with UF.  These relationships have contributed to his growth as a leader.

Through these experiences at the UFHCC, Brian was able to establish himself as one of the guiding forces behind UF’s growing research enterprise. Because of this, in 2016, he was asked by Drs. Nelson, Norton and Sugrue, to start the Office of Clinical Research: a merger and large investment in the previous College of Medicine Research and Compliance office. Through his leadership, OCR has become a comprehensive resource for researchers by managing human subjects clinical research studies from start to finish.

Given this portfolio of experience it was only natural that Brian should join the CTSI as its COO. In this role, he has continued to demonstrate his excellence as a leader and innovative collaborator. Moreover, just as with all of his previous roles, Brian has helped establish and maintain a fun-loving, highly interactive culture at the CTSI that nurtures success and growth for all.

UF has been an amazing home for Brian and his family. There are many people who have supported Brian and helped him get to where he is today, and for that he is grateful and more appreciative than he can articulate in words. His official departure from UF will be July 31st, after which he will be starting a new career adventure with the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. No matter where he works, he proudly insists that he will always bleed orange and blue, and share his own special brand of southern hospitality.