Evan Brittain, MD, MSCI, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, has been appointed Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt Health, effective July 1.
Brittain, who holds the Rose Marie Robertson Directorship, will succeed Roy Zent, MD, PhD, and T. Alp Ikizler, MD, who have served as the department’s Vice Chair for Research and Vice Chair for Clinical Research, respectively.
“I am deeply grateful for Drs. Zent and Ikizler’s stewardship of research in our department,” said Anna Hemnes, MD, the Elsa S. Hanigan Professor of Pulmonary Medicine in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Chair of the Department of Medicine.
“Under their leadership, we have grown to be the No. 1 department of medicine in NIH funding,” Hemnes said. “We have become an international destination for several research areas, including genetics and electronic health record work.”
Brittain is internationally recognized for his investigations of the mechanisms of pulmonary vascular disease and right heart failure. Among other research priorities is the use of wearable devices to monitor and promote physical activity for individuals with pulmonary hypertension and other chronic diseases.
He will continue to serve as Assistant Dean for Physician-Researcher Training, Director of the Physician-Scientist Training Program/Harrison Society, and as Co-director of the Office of Medical Student Research.
“Dr. Brittain has a strong track record of building multidisciplinary research collaborations across the institution, experience in translational research as well as big data science, and rich experience in mentorship,” Hemnes said.
“He will be a tremendous steward of our research mission and will build a strategy with our faculty to continue research success into the future,” she said. “His role with the Harrison Society will synergize with this role to ensure our trainee and early-career faculty’s success.”
In another appointment to take effect July 1, Kathryn Dahir, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, will assume a newly created position, Associate Vice Chair for Research Partnerships in the Department of Medicine.
Dahir, who directs the Metabolic Bone Disease Program at Vanderbilt Health, is a physician-scientist whose research is focused on improving the treatment of and understanding the genetic basis for rare skeletal diseases.
C. Henrique Serezani, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, will continue as Associate Vice Chair for Research in the department.
“Her work,” said Hemnes, “has been successful due to her innovative approaches and strong industry collaborations. Dr. Dahir is exactly the right person to assist our faculty in facilitating partnerships with industry, grow research, and focus on career development of our clinician educator faculty interested in this space.”
Serezani, who directs the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, is internationally known for his research on the role of inflammation in infection and autoimmunity.
“This new structure,” Hemnes said, “will allow the Department of Medicine to support a breadth of research with an eye to funding diversification, recruitment in strategic areas, and mentorship of trainees and faculty in all forms of research.”
Ikizler, the Catherine McLaughlin Hakim Professor of Vascular Biology, will continue to serve as Director of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension.
He stepped down as Vice Chair for Clinical Research earlier this year to assume the position of Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.
Zent, the Thomas F. Frist Sr. Professor of Medicine, will continue in his faculty roles and as Chief of Nephrology at the Nashville VA Medical Center.
