Brian Overholser, PharmD, FCCP, has been named the director of the Clinical Investigation and Translational Education (CITE) program.
He succeeds the program’s founder, Kurt Kroenke, MD, who built the training program over more than twenty years. It is “the driving force” behind the training of faculty and fellows in clinical and translational research through the Indiana CTSI, according to Overholser.
“My goal is to continue building upon the foundation that Dr. Kroenke built for this excellent program,” he said.
As director, Overholser is interested in expanding its offerings to focus on health equity, artificial intelligence, modeling and simulation, and other opportunities in translational research. Additionally, he hopes to improve its accessibility to faculty and trainees at Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.
“This will be a team effort—I won’t be able to replace Dr. Kroenke,” he said.
Overholser is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Purdue, where he directs two graduate programs in the College of Pharmacy. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Overholser was drawn to the opportunity to lead the CITE program because he has always enjoyed working with graduate students. He was also very familiar with the program through his Clinical Pharmacology students in Indianapolis.
He has a personal connection to the program, too.
“I sat in on these courses [in an earlier version of the program] more than twenty years ago, and they were part of my K award. I met with Dr. Kroenke then as a trainee,” he said. “I have always been so impressed with Dr. Kroenke’s ability to connect with students and his dedication to this work.”
Sarah Wiehe, MD, MPH, who is Co-Director of the Indiana CTSI, expressed enthusiasm for Overholser’s vision. She also praised Kroenke for his tremendous impact.
“We owe a great deal to Dr. Kroenke,” she said. “He is a tireless advocate on behalf of trainees, a deeply invested mentor, and a truly transformational figure in the field of translational research.”
Overholser’s appointment is effective July 1. For questions about the program, contact Patricia McGuire at pcmcguir@iu.edu.
