Nancy Brown, M.D.
Brown to helm translational scientist development
Nancy Brown, M.D., has been named to the new position of associate dean for Clinical and Translational Scientist Development in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
The new position replaces the former associate dean, Physician Scientist Development position, with a goal to expand and enhance educational programs for physician scientists and translational and clinical investigators of all types, including physicians, nurses and degree candidates with backgrounds varying from business to science and engineering.
“Our school has benefited greatly from the Vanderbilt Physician Scientist Development program created by associate vice chancellor Jeff Balser and led most recently by Jason Morrow,” said Steven Gabbe, M.D., dean of VUSM. “As we looked at the structure for mentoring our junior faculty, young investigators in clinical and translational science, we realized that we could strengthen our program by centralizing those efforts.
“The NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) proposal and the AAMC Clinical Research Task Force I chaired also called for more coordination of these programs.”
The CTSA program was launched recently to transform clinical and translational research so treatments can be developed more efficiently and delivered more quickly to patients.
It encourages development of novel approaches to clinical and translational research, enhanced informatics and technology resources, and improved training and mentoring.
“Vanderbilt is a very collaborative environment, and we have seen tremendous growth in our number of young investigators,” Brown said.
“They are really the future of health sciences and of discovery in medicine, so we need to make sure that the infrastructure is in place to nurture them and promote their success.”
She most recently served as Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) director, where she oversaw the degree-granting program designed to provide skills in clinical investigation.
Along with Brown's promotion, MSCI associate director Alp Ikizler, M.D., assumed the director’s role. Rick Barr, one of the first MSCI program graduates, will step into Ikizler's former position as associate director.