Frank Harrell, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Biostatistics, is excited to announce the recruitment of Christopher Lindsell, Ph.D., as Professor of Biostatistics, with the appointment effective August 1.
Lindsell is nationally known for building clinical, translational, and emergency medicine research programs at the University of Cincinnati. He is joining research leadership teams in the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) and its Learning Health System program, and in the Institute for Medicine and Public Health (IMPH), Center for Health Services Research, where he will serve as Associate Director of its Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research.
He will succeed Harrell as director of the VICTR Research Methods Program. Harrell will become associate director of that program, which includes VICTR’s biostatistics resource comprised of five faculty and staff members from his department.
Lindsell was Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the UC College of Medicine and Vice President for Research at UC Health.
“Dr. Lindsell is an outstanding data scientist, clinical investigator and accomplished mentor with strong leadership skills and experience,” said Robert Dittus, M.D., MPH, director of the Institute for Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) and executive vice president for Public Health and Health Care at VUMC.
“(He) will make immediate and important contributions to our clinical, translational and health services research programs at Vanderbilt,” Dittus said.
“Dr. Lindsell brings to Vanderbilt a wealth of experience in emergency medicine research,” added Gordon Bernard, M.D., VICTR program director and Executive Vice President for Clinical and Translational Research at VUMC. “His collaborative spirit will fit in well with the culture here and we are excited to have him join us.”
“Dr. Lindsell is an outstanding leader, collaborator and mentor who is passionate about improving healthcare through an integration of research and clinical practice,” said Sunil Kripalani, M.D., MSc, Director of the Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to grow our research and training programs in implementation science at Vanderbilt.”
Lindsell will work in the Learning Health System program, the Vanderbilt Clinical Coordinating Center and the Trial Innovation Network. He will conduct research related to the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network, enhance VICTR-related Biostatistics Clinics and launch new VICTR research methodology educational programs.
Drawing on his extensive background in emergency medicine research, Lindsell also will join the biostatistics team dedicated to the Department of Emergency Medicine. This was the first internally-funded long-term collaboration forged between Biostatistics and another medical school department, beginning as soon as Biostatistics was created in 2003.
“I am delighted Chris is joining Vanderbilt,” said Corey Slovis, M.D., Chair of Emergency Medicine. “He has been instrumental in developing numerous emergency medicine investigators into successful independent physician scientists.”
Lindsell said Vanderbilt’s collaborative atmosphere and interdisciplinary approach to solving the nation’s toughest health problems is a perfect fit for his background and interests.
“At its core, biomedical research is about creating new knowledge to improve health,” he said. “Biostatisticians have a special role in the research process because our job is to ensure the question is asked and answered in a way that is valid and impactful.”
Lindsell has dedicated his career to collaborative biostatistics, research design and clinical research operations. His research interests include the role of emergency medicine in improving health and healthcare at the individual and population level.
The author or co-author of 235 scientific papers, Lindsell holds several patents and has served as principal investigator or biostatistician on 23 federally-funded clinical trials, epidemiological studies and health services research programs.
This month he was appointed to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science.
