Wesley G. Byerly, PharmD, has been hired as the senior associate vice chancellor for Research and Administration for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Selected by Steve Goodman, PhD, vice chancellor for Research, after a national search, Dr. Byerly’s appointment was effective May 1, 2022.
Most recently associate vice president for Research Integrity and Regulatory Affairs at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Byerly succeeds Steve Youngentob, PhD, who has served as UTHSC senior associate vice chancellor for Research for seven years.
“I am excited for the opportunity to join UTHSC,” Dr. Byerly said. “I look forward to working with the faculty and staff to continue to advance the research mission.”
A 14-member committee chaired by Don Thomason, PhD, dean of the UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences, along with an executive search firm, began the search process for a new senior associate vice chancellor for Research in mid-2021, following Dr. Youngentob’s decision to retire.
Reporting to the vice chancellor for Research, the senior associate vice chancellor for Research oversees the operations and infrastructure of the Office of Research. In his new role, Dr. Byerly will also assist Dr. Goodman with efforts to build strong teams of researchers who will accelerate the growth of research in all UTHSC colleges and at all major locations. This includes assisting with directing the development and implementation of UTHSC’s comprehensive research strategy to move the university into the ranks of the top biomedical research institutions.
“We welcome Dr. Byerly to the UTHSC Research leadership team,” Dr. Goodman said. “He is an experienced and successful leader of academic research administration, who will do an outstanding job supporting the efforts of the UTHSC research community. We thank Dr. Steve Youngentob for his exemplary work as the senior associate vice chancellor for Research and chief operating officer for the Office of Research.”
Dr. Youngentob, who has served as the senior associate vice chancellor for Research for the past seven years, played a major role in the research evolution led by Dr. Goodman. He oversaw the comprehensive restructure of research-related administrative and compliance offices that directly led to UTHSC’s ability to handle a growing portfolio of contract agreements, sub-awards, clinical trial agreements, and grant submissions, which, in turn, resulted in record-breaking growth in external grant and contract awards by FY21. His retirement is effective June 30.
Dr. Byerly is highly experienced in oversight of research compliance across animal care and use, human subject protections, clinical trials and clinical trials contracting, biosafety, stem cell research, financial conflict of interest, research integrity, export control, and environmental health and safety. In addition to his seven years at the University of Connecticut, he has served as systemwide compliance officer at the University of Texas System, director of the Office of Clinical Trials at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, associate dean for Research Support at Duke University School of Medicine, executive director of Research Regulatory Affairs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Dr. Byerly is a registered pharmacist in North Carolina, a certified IRB professional – PRIM&R (Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research), and a certified Six Sigma black belt. He currently serves as site reviewer and council member for the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), as IRB chair for Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), and as a member of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Nomenclature & Labeling (NL) Expert Committee.
He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.