Dr. Eli Perencevich, Professor of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology, has accepted the position of Associate Chair for Clinical and Health Services Research. In this role, Dr. Perencevich will focus on strengthening and expanding the Department’s research portfolio in these areas. He has articulated a clear vision, which aligns closely with our goals of increasing funded research across all domains within the Department. He will oversee efforts to train, mentor, and support selected fellows and junior faculty to foster their development into nationally recognized leaders in clinical and health services research. This will include innovative and proven strategies to identify and engage investigators with a strong interest in careers in clinical and health services research who will be offered protected time and formal training that will enable them to develop competitive and high-quality research programs. Dr. Perencevich will work closely with Division Directors and the Department to execute this vision.

Dr. Perencevich has an impressive record of scholarship including serving as PI for Iowa’s CDC Prevention Epicenter and co-PI of Iowa City VA’s Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) program targeting antimicrobial resistance. He is also Center Director of VA HSR&D's Comprehensive Access & Delivery Research & Evaluation (CADRE), a Center of Innovation unit whose goal is to improve veterans’ access to high-quality health care. This Center has a strong track record in developing a nationally recognized group of independently funded health services researchers in the College, and I believe it can serve as a model for additional programmatic growth across the entire Department.  

With Dr. Perencevich’s leadership, our Department will achieve remarkable growth and success in developing the careers of many of our promising faculty.