Announcing Assistant Vice President for Collaborative Research in the Life Sciences

Dr. David Norton, Vice President for Research

The Office of Research is pleased to announce the assignment of Dr. David R. Nelson, M.D. to assistant vice president for collaborative research in the life sciences.  In his current position as director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), Dr. Nelson has supported university efforts in facilitating interdisciplinary activities in the life and medical science.  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.   As an assistant vice president within the Office of Research, 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.  David Nelson will continue his roles as professor of medicine, associate dean for clinical research in the College of Medicine, and director of the CTSI.

Dr. Nelson received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate University in Syracuse. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Massachusetts and obtained 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. Dr. Nelson also has strong translational research interests, focusing primarily on the immunopathogenesis and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma. He oversees more than 15 active clinical trials and has a 15-year track record of NIH funding. Dr. Nelson serves as principal investigator on basic science, clinical research and training grants in gastroenterology and hepatobiliary diseases. He has an impressive record of academic achievement with more than $30 million in research funding and more than 200 publications.