MICHR has named a new faculty lead for its Pilot Grant Program (PGP), which has awarded more than $19M, resulting in nearly $203M in self-reported extramural funding since 2007.

Karen Farris, PhD, has accepted the role of PGP Program Director and will also serve on the MICHR Cabinet, effective July 1, 2015. Reporting to Karen will be PGP Manager Kate Althouse.

Dr. Farris is eminently qualified to serve in this position. She is the Charles R. Walgreen III Professor of Pharmacy Administration in the College of Pharmacy at U-M. She recently became the Chair of Department of Clinical, Social and Administrative Sciences in the College of Pharmacy, in addition to serving as interim for the past year. She also holds dry (non-salary) appointments in the School of Public Health and the Institute for Social Research. In addition, Dr. Farris serves on the leadership team at the Institute for Health Policy and Innovation. Dr. Farris’ research focuses on medication adherence, specifically reasons for non-adherence, including concern and necessity beliefs, and self-reporting adverse effects.

Dr. Farris has previous experience working with MICHR. She has served as a reviewer and chair on the MICHR PGP Scientific Review Committee for two T3 pilot grant mechanisms, mentored students in the Master of Science in Clinical Research program offered by our Education and Mentoring Group, and served on the Outreach, Partnerships and Implementation Science committee. Dr. Farris also has significant program administration experience, serving as the interim chair in the Department of Clinical, Social and Administrative Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and as Graduate Program Director in her department at U-M and in her previous position in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa. With these experiences, Dr. Farris will be instrumental in ensuring funding priorities and policies align with the MICHR PGP and in promoting the PGP to investigators working across the translational spectrum.

Karen succeeds Charles F. Burant, MD, PhD, who stepped down from MICHR’s Cabinet and will now be devoting his efforts to serving as the PI of the U-M Nutrition and Obesity Research Center and the Michigan Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Resource Core.