The University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has appointed Gloria “Gigi” Pflugfelder Lipori, MT, MBA, as senior director of research informatics. In the role, Lipori will also serve as director of translational informatics integration for the CTSI, director of research informatics for the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy at UF Health, and associate director of data architecture and integration for OneFlorida+.
A nationally recognized leader in health care informatics, data strategy and research informatics, Lipori brings more than 40 years of experience at UF Health. Her career began as a medical technologist and progressed through a series of operational and enterprise leadership positions, including senior vice president and chief information officer for UF Health. In that role, she oversaw information technology and information services across six health science colleges, 10 hospitals and two faculty practices. In this role, Lipori will focus on strengthening the infrastructure, partnerships and platforms that support clinical and translational research and data-driven discovery.
“Gigi’s leadership has fundamentally shaped the research and data infrastructure that powers translational science at UF today,” said Dr. Duane Mitchell, CTSI director. “Her vision for integrating clinical, operational and research data continues to position UF and UF Health at the forefront of AI-enabled discovery and precision medicine.”
As UF Health’s first chief data officer, Lipori established the strategy and infrastructure for the UF Health Integrated Data Repository, an NIH-recognized translational research platform that has supported thousands of researchers and informed numerous research proposals and federally funded initiatives. She has served as principal investigator for the repository since its inception and has played a key role in advancing data-driven clinical and translational research across the institution.
Lipori also serves on the board of directors of the Harvard-based i2b2 tranSMART Foundation and has contributed to numerous federal and foundation-funded initiatives, including OneFlorida+. Through collaborations with national organizations and federal agencies, her work has supported the development, validation and implementation of health care quality and performance measures used throughout the United States.
In recent years, Lipori has helped advance institutional strategies for artificial intelligence, data integration and research computing. She has contributed to initiatives such as the Digital Brain Initiative and other programs designed to create scalable, reusable data assets that accelerate discovery in neuro-oncology, precision medicine and population health. Her work focuses on bridging clinical operations, research infrastructure and emerging technologies to support the next generation of translational science.
Her appointment reflects the CTSI’s continued commitment to advancing translational science through data integration, artificial intelligence, research informatics and collaborative infrastructure that accelerates the translation of discoveries into improved health outcomes.