Victor M. Darley-Usmar, Ph.D., endowed professor of Mitochondrial Medicine and Pathology in the UAB School of Medicine, has been named the Associate Dean for Research.In this role, Darley-Usmar will report to Dr. Tika Benveniste, senior associate dean for Research Administration and Development. His task in this role is to develop and support programs which enhance the research environment and UAB’s success as an internationally recognized center for basic and translational research.
His responsibilities will encompass developing supportive programs for research intensive faculty, strategies for effective core management and enhancing the quality and efficiency of research space.
Darley-Usmar’s will also be a member on various committees, including the AMC21 Executive Research Steering Committee as well as participation in ad hoc task forces appointed by the Dean’s Office for periodic departmental reviews. He will also work closely with Dr. Benveniste and the Dean’s Office on matters arising from the SOM Executive Risk Oversight Committee.
Darley-Usmar joined the UAB faculty in 1995 and is a professor in the Department of Pathology. He’s held numerous leadership roles in the SOM and Pathology, including leading the Center for Free Radical Biology as its director from 2006-2015, serving as co-interim Chair of the Department of Pathology in 2015 and leading research efforts in the department as Vice Chair of Research from 2009-2017.
Darley-Usmar will dedicate 25 percent of his time to this new role, which was effective Feb. 1.
“This is an exciting and critical period for UAB as we move into a transformative era for translational and basic research. I am looking forward to working with the highly interactive team in the Dean’s office to provide an excellent environment and infrastructure to promote UAB’s and supportive ethos,” Darley-Usmar said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with and serve all faculty in the School of Medicine in this role.”