The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has announced that as part of his role as director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics and his work leading statewide bioinformatics research efforts, Robert Davis, Governor’s Chair in Biomedical Informatics, has also been named the lead scientist and overall director for the new Precision Health and Environment cluster centered at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The PHE cluster is dedicated to addressing health outcomes influenced by environmental factors such as respiratory conditions, infectious diseases, cardiac conditions, and cancer. Davis will maintain his UT Health Science Center academic appointment in the College of Medicine and continue as director of the UT Health Science Center’s Center for Biomedical Informatics, splitting his time between the Memphis and Knoxville campuses.
Robert Davis. Courtesy of UT Health Science Center
Consistent with the Health Science Center’s strategic plan to advance a statewide presence, Davis will be fostering collaboration between faculty and researchers in Memphis and Knoxville, working to integrate the efforts of scientists, engineers, clinical researchers, and clinical care providers in a unified approach to cluster research. With a focus on collaboration between UT Knoxville, the UT Health Science Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, this cross-state effort is anticipated to strengthen the influence of bioinformatics research by creating a vibrant research community across the UT campuses and throughout Tennessee.
Davis will also be instrumental in recruiting new faculty and developing cross-campus educational programs, furthering the mission of the PHE cluster and achieving the initiative’s objectives, including securing new funding opportunities, and positioning the cluster for long-term success. The PHE cluster is expected to drive significant new research opportunities, with the aim of securing a federally funded center grant within the next six years. With programmatic support from UT Knoxville, Davis and PHE cluster leadership team will collaborate closely with UT Knoxville and UT Health Science Center faculty to ensure the success of this strategic endeavor and accomplishment of its strategic objectives.
“We were thrilled to learn of Dr. Davis’s interest in leading the PHE initiative. His unparalleled expertise and visionary leadership in environmental epidemiology will propel the PHE to new heights,” said Tami Wyatt, associate dean of research in UT Knoxville’s College of Nursing, who is a founding co-leader of the PHE cluster, together with Chris Cox, Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering in UT Knoxville’s Tickle College of Engineering.
“We are excited to have Dr. Davis leading this collaborative initiative as part of the UT Health Science Center’s advancement of its statewide presence,” said Wesley Byerly, interim vice chancellor for research at the UT Health Science Center.
The initiative highlights the Health Science Center’s dedication to advancing bioinformatics and precision health across Tennessee as well as its efforts to establish research, educational, clinical, and service programs that span its multiple campuses, the UT System, and the state.