Recently, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) tapped Wesley G. Byerly, PharmD, to be its new senior associate vice chancellor for Research and Administration.
And while one can only assume that UTHSC leaders were impressed by his thick, bushy mustache, it’s his significant experience at high caliber institutions that likely helped him score the job.
“We welcome Dr. Byerly to the UTHSC Research leadership team,” vice chancellor of research Steve Goodman said in a press release. “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.”
A 14-member committee, along with an executive search firm, began the national search for someone to fill the post in mid-2021, after Steve Youngentob — who held the position for seven years — decided to retire.
Byerly has been in the position since May 1. Now, he’s overseeing the operations and infrastructure of the Office of Research and assisting Goodman in efforts to build strong teams of researchers who can accelerate the growth of research at UTHSC. He’ll also assist with directing the development and implementation UTHSC’s comprehensive research strategy, as it looks to move into the ranks of top biomedical research institutions.
Byerly brings a loaded resume to the role, and he has ample experience in the 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.
Most recently, he spent seven years at the University of Connecticut, where he worked as the associate vice president for Research Integrity and Regulatory Affairs. He’s also served as the systemwide compliance officer for 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 the Duke University School of Medicine; and executive director of Research Regulatory Affairs at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
He received his Doctor of Pharmacy at the UNC Chapel Hill.
Youngentob retired after playing a significant role in the school’s research evolution. He oversaw the structure of research-related administrative and compliance offices, which led to UTHSC’s ability to handle a growing portfolio of contract agreements, sub-awards, clinical trial agreements, and grant submissions, and resulted in record-breaking growth in external grant and contract awards by FY 2021. His retirement is effective June 30.
UTHSC is the second-largest research institution in the Memphis Area, behind St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, according to MBJ research. In FY 2021, it received $126.6 million in research grants and contracts, and had $109.56 million in research expenditures.
