CTSC Leadership

Lars Berglund is the CTSC Program Director. Dr. Berglund is professor of medicine and associate dean for clinical and translational research at UC Davis and staff physician at the Sacramento VA Medical Center. He is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the CTSC. He has M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and until his recruitment to the Sacramento VA Medical Center and UC Davis in 2002, he served as associate director for the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at Columbia University.

As program director, Dr. Berglund is guided by the recommendations of the CTSC Governance and Oversight Committee and External Advisory Boards and works closely with the chair of the CRRC committee, Dr. Fitz-Roy Curry, associate dean of basic and translational research, to ensure appropriate and effective use of CTSC resources. Dr. Berglund ensures that administrative, patient care and research reporting procedures are carried out in conformity with NIH, UC Davis, and Department of Veterans Affairs policies. In addition, he sets goals and standards for the CTSC, encourages clinical investigators to utilize the CTSC and fosters collaborations between clinical and basic science investigators.

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Michael Gillis is the CTSC associate director for administration and provides administrative and departmental oversight, program planning and execution, fiscal oversight, and overall grants management. Mr. Gillis completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis and earned a Master in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s College of California. His duties include monitoring and administering the CTSA grant and developing collaborative partnerships with other Institutions, community organizations and industry sponsors. Mr. Gillis oversees all financial and programmatic aspects of the CTSC and coordinates internal and external marketing coordination efforts. He is tasked with helping to create a comprehensive, integrated academic home that promotes research and education in clinical and translational sciences at UC Davis. In this role, Mr. Gillis is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the implementation of the program functions that comprise the CTSC.

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Dr. Tarantal is the Director of the Translational Technologies, Resources and Methodologies Program. Dr. Tarantal is a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology and Human Anatomy. She serves as a Staff Scientist and Unit Leader in the Reproductive Sciences Unit at the California National Primate Research Center, and is Director and P.I. of the NHLBI-supported Center for Fetal Monkey Gene Transfer for Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases, and an NIH Center of Excellence in Human Translational Stem Cell Research. Dr. Tarantal has extensive experience with successful pilot and feasibility programs in both centers and also within the Primate Center Pilot Project Program.

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Dr. Devaraj serves as Co-director of the Translational Technologies, Resources, and Methodologies Program, and is the Director of Toxicology at the UC Davis Medical Center. Dr. Devaraj is an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Core Laboratory director of the CCRC, and is an active researcher in basic and clinical science focused on oxidative stress, inflammation, diabetes, and vascular disease. At the CCRC, she coordinates sample collection, processing, storage, and transport of biological specimens to investigators, thus facilitating clinical research. In addition, she oversees the Cardiovascular Core Laboratory for the CCRC where testing of novel biomarkers is performed. Through her familiarity with studies across the translational spectrum, Dr. Devaraj is well qualified to provide guidance to investigators.

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Thomas Huser is serves as Co-Director of the Translational Technologies, Resources, and Methodologies Program. Huser is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Chief Scientist for the NSF Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST) at the University of California at Davis. Until November 2005, he was a group leader for Biophotonics and Nanospectroscopy at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore (LLNL), CA. Huser obtained his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Basel, Switzerland, where he worked on near-field optical microscopy. At UC Davis he applies fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy to biological and medical problems at the single molecule to single cell levels.

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Dr. Curry is a senior investigator in translational research whose scientific and leadership skills are widely recognized as Professor and former Chair of the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, Professor of Bioengineering and Associate Dean for Basic and Translational Research in the School of Medicine. He has more than 25 years of experience as P.I., reviewer, and mentor on NIH research and training programs in the area of vascular biology. Dr. Curry chairs the UC Davis Health System Research Award Committee, which evaluates pre-R01 level pilot projects, and he has extensive experience evaluating pilot project funding promoting interdisciplinary research for new faculty linked to the UC Davis Cancer Center, the Vascular Institute, as well as the UC Davis-associated Veterans Affairs (VA) and Shiner’s Hospitals.

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Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola is a professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and serves as Director of the Community Engagement program and Center for Reducing Health Disparities. He is an internationally renowned expert on mental health in ethnic populations, and was recently honored with a National Minority Health Community Leadership Award (Hispanic Community) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one of ten that recognize excellence and outstanding accomplishments of pioneering leaders dedicated to improving health in specific minority populations. He is P.I. of the Mexican American Prevalence and Services survey, the largest mental health study conducted in the U.S. on Mexican Americans, and the coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean of the WHO (World Health Organization) Mental Health survey. In this capacity, he coordinates the work of the National Mental Health Institute surveys in Mexico, Columbia, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and Portugal. His experience in developing culturally and linguistically sensitive diagnostic mental health measures and translating research into practical information for consumers and their families will strengthen the CTSC Community Engagement program.

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Dr. Nguyen serves as the Co-Director of Biomedical Informatics. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, where he is a faculty member for both the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, His research interests include applied biomedical informatics, outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy, and nosocomial infections. He is the Medical Director of Electronic Medical Records, where he helps lead the implementation and integration of the Electronic Medical Record for the Health System. He received his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and masters in clinical research from the University of California, Davis.

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Kent Anderson manages the biomedical informatics team of the CTSC. Mr. Anderson oversees the design, development and implementation of specialized databases, tools and applications to support clinical and translational research at UC Davis and acts as a representative to the national consortium of CTSA award recipients to develop resources to benefit all represented CTSA institutions. Mr. Anderson facilitates the use of novel information technology and computing methods to assist Investigators in managing and evaluating the clinical data necessary to support their research program. Mr. Anderson works closely with the Biomedical Informatics program director to help investigators make the most efficient use of informatics services and resources.

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Dr. Beckett serves as Director of the Study Design and Biostatistics program. Dr. Beckett has since held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and Rush School of Medicine in Chicago, among other institutions. Three years ago she was recruited by the UC Davis School of Medicine to build a new division of biostatistics in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Under her leadership, the division has grown from two people, including Beckett, to five full-time biostatisticians plus support staff and graduate students. And as more grants flow in with the division's assistance, she hopes to further expand the program.

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Dr. Romano serves as Co-director of the Study Design and Biostatistics program and is a Professor of General Internal Medicine and General Pediatrics. In this capacity, he assists Dr. Beckett in providing consultative and mentoring services to junior investigators, especially those whose research focuses on translation from clinical settings to populations. His training and experience in clinical epidemiology and health services research enable him to advise colleagues on complex issues related to study design and implementation. His personal research interests focus on measuring and improving health care quality, risk-adjusting health care outcomes, and using data to improve the quality and effectiveness of medical care.

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Dr. Kon is the Bioethics Director for Study Design and Biostatisics core. Dr. Kon is a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics and in the Program in Bioethics, and his research focuses on informed consent for research with emphasis on research involving children. Dr. Kon serves on the CCRC Advisory Committee where he provides a bioethics review for all CCRC applications and works with investigators to determine whether children ought be included in specific research projects. Dr. Kon is also the co-Instructor of Record for the Responsible Conduct of Research course and is an active teacher of students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty members. Dr. Kon completed his Fellowship in Medical Ethics at the University of California in San Francisco (2000) and currently serves as the chair of the UC Davis Medical Center Hospital Ethics Committee. He is a Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholar in Bioethics and an officer of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, and he has published widely on bioethics topics.

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Dr. Wun is the co-Director of the Regulatory Knowledge and Support and the Participant Clinical Interactions core programs. He is also Medical Director of the CTSC Clinical Research Center. He is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and has served as the Instructor of Record for the Responsible Conduct of Research Course for the CTSC Mentored Clinical Research Training Program. Dr. Wun is a member of the Society of Research Subject Advocates and together with Dr. Schmidt, he has refined assessment of DSMPs and risk-benefit ratios for CTSC studies. He conducts independent investigations in the areas of hematology, oncology, and sickle cell disease and is the Chief, Section of Hematology and Oncology for the VANCHCS.

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Dr. Asmuth is an Associate Professor of Medicine, who currently serves as Co-Director for the CRC, and will serve as the co-Director of the PCIR program. As an active member of the Institutional Review Board for over 10 years, he is intimately aware of the ethical and regulatory issues as they relate to human subject clinical research. Dr. Asmuth’s research focuses on HIV/AIDS pathogenesis and treatment, HIV/HCV co-infection pathogenesis and treatment, and, more generally, on pathogen-specific cell-mediated immune responses. His well-established collaboration with Dr. Berglund and long-standing familiarity with diverse research investigators increases the potential for the PCIR program’s adoption by many types of researchers across campus. Together, Drs. Berglund and Asmuth provide the required skills, experience, and continuity to assure success of the PCIR program.

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Nicole Mullen provides planning and operational oversight of the Participant and Clinical Interaction Resources (PCIR) core and the Clinical Research Center (CCRC) services available to investigators. Ms. Mullen oversees all aspects of clinical research resources and services, such as space allocation, nursing, laboratory, nutritional, and physiology lab, offered through the CTSC. Ms. Mullen monitors the conduct of clinical trials and data collection efforts supported by the PCIR program resources to ensure that federal regulations, professional standards, hospital polices, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research protocols are not violated or compromised. Ms. Mullen completed her undergraduate nursing degree at Samuel Merritt College and earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Duke University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and is working collaboratively at the national level to create a professional organization and certifcation to recognize the specialty practice of clinical research nursing.

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Dr. Meyers serves as Director of the Research Education and Training Program. Dr. Meyers is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine His research focuses on cancer medicine. He has conducted studies in the molecular biology of advanced cancer and conducted many clinical trials in investigational cancer therapy. Currently he works in health services research of cancer care, specifically in palliative care/ supportive care as a model of quality. His current NCI grant investigates the simultaneous provision of palliative care and cancer investigational therapy to patients in Phase I or II trials. Dr. Meyers has served as director of the UC Davis Cancer Center clinical trials group, building a premier organization. He is committed to education of scholars from diverse backgrounds. He serves on national committees that deal with educational policy. He has extensive mentoring experience, having been a major professor for two PhD candidates who now have University appointments. He has mentored oncology fellows, several of whom have University appointments, and has begun to develop trainees in Palliative Care. Dr. Meyers has multiple junior faculty mentees as Department Chair and he sponsors two individuals for Robert Wood Johnson generalist physician awards in primary care. He is pleased to be the PI on the Mentored Clinical Research Training Program within the CTSC and PI of the stem cell training grant. Dr. Meyers is a member of the CTSC Oversight and Governance Committee.

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Richard L. Kravitz, M.D., M.S.P.H. is Professor and Co-vice Chair for Research in the Department of Internal Medicine. He is a general internist and health services researcher whose interests include physician behavior, health communication, and preparing patients to become more effective agents for quality of care. His work on direct-to-consumer advertising was recently honored as Best Published Research Paper of the Year by SGIM and Article of the Year by AcademyHealth. He is a recipient of the UC Davis SOM Research Award, Ambassador of Diversity Award, and Dean's Mentoring Award. In addition to directing the K12 program, Dr. Kravitz is Instructor of Record for the K30 Summer Course in health services research methods.

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Jen Greenier is responsible for the day-to-day operation, facilitation and coordination of educational programs at the CTSC. Dr. Greenier earned a Master's Degree in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Labs and a Ph.D. in Genetics at the University of California, Davis, and is a member of the UC Davis Institutional Review Board. Dr. Greenier leads a team of program managers responsible for implementing training grants that are collectively designed for research career development for medical students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. Working in concert with CTSC core directors and co-directors, faculty, collaborating institutions, consortium partners and staff, Dr. Greenier is responsible for implementing a strategic plan to establish and maintain a comprehensive educational program that will lead to successful career development in clinical and translational science.

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Julie Rainwater is the Director of the Evaluation and Tracking Program. Dr. Rainwater works with each CTSC program to help them develop their specific evaluation plans and rigorously assess progress toward their objectives. She also serves as representative to the national consortium of CTSA award recipients and leads a national working group using Social Network Analysis to study the evolving scientific collaborations among translational researchers. Dr. Rainwater earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at Stanford University and is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research. She has more than a decade of experience in program evaluation, health services research, survey methods, and large-scale project management. She currently serves as the lead evaluator for several research grants and training programs at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Health System.

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Dr. Kate Marusina serves as Manager, Research Facilitation and Industry Alliances. In this role, Dr. Marusina assists with corporate partnering for both basic research and clinical trials. The tasks include preparation of partnering materials, active search for the strategic industry partners, the assistance in negotiating the scope of work and streamlining the path from a contact to a contract. Dr. Marusina also represents UC Davis CTSC on the National CTSA level in Public-Private Partnerships and IND/IDE Support task groups. Prior to UC Davis Dr. Marusina was a part of the Business Development Group of Novozymes Biotech Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Novozymes A/S, Denmark, a global leader in industrial enzymes with over $1 billion in worldwide revenues. As a part of the global BusDev team, she was responsible for the U.S. activities in partnering and technology/product licensing. From 1998 to 2000, Dr. Marusina served as Product Manager of Clontech, then a Becton Dickinson Company, based in Palo Alto, California. Among other portfolio products, she was responsible for the global strategy for the Creator, a universal gene cloning platform, and for the release of the Infusion, now a leading system for high throughput cloning. Earlier, Dr. Marusina was a Territory Sales Manager for Stratagene, La Jolla, CA. She received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the Leningrad State University, Russia, Ph.D. in Molecular Immunology and MBA with specialization in Marketing, both from the University of Cincinnati, OH. She did postdoctoral Fellowship at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCSF, and San Francisco CA.

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