Tulane University

Louisiana State University

Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

UC Davis

Genetic Epidemiologist  -  Chief Scientific Officer, EVP  -  Precision Medicine  -  Strategic Planning  -  Big Data

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

Director

The majority of my business is focused on advising NCI-designated cancer centers and institutions aspiring to become one. This includes assessing institutional readiness to submit a competitive P30 application, help write and edit the grant, and prepare for the site visit. I provide 1:1 advising and coaching of leaders to realize their full potential. Finally, I share my deep experience competing for peer-reviewed funding with investigators at all ranks on specific proposals or general strategies to enhance success.

TAS Consulting, LLC

President

Chief Research Officer

Lead Research Officer and Professor of Oncological Sciences

Principal Investigator on the competitive, peer-reviewed P30 grant awarded by the National Cancer Institute for breadth, depth, quality and impact of cancer research. One of only 51 comprehensive cancer centers in the US and the only one based in Florida. Role includes oversight of seven Associate Directors, appointment of Program Leaders and Centers of Excellence Directors, control of all research space and infrastructure that supports basic, clinical, population and translational science research.
• Oversight 5 Research Programs, 4 Centers of Excellence, 16 shared facilities, clinical trials support,400k ft2 wet and dry laboratory space, and administrative support.
• Increased faculty by 28% and grew research expenditures by 44%, reaching $170M+ in 2019.
• Opened 450 therapeutic clinical trials, increased annual accrual from 900 to 1200 and revenue by $3M.
• Recognized as top 5 immunology research and immunotherapy trial organization for cell therapy facility and number of FDA approved therapies.
• Led two strategic planning efforts
• Implemented new governance structure and accountability of the sixteen shared resources to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, ensure access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise, better delegate authority and increase accountability.
• Transformed clinical trials infrastructure; 36-step plan implemented ahead of schedule. Results included a 30% increase in clinical trial accrual, novel education programs, better retention, and enhanced reputation.
* Implemented new clinical trial billing processes that increased revenue by $3M per year.
• To advance innovation and risk-taking, provided "pre-pilot" monies to Program Leaders to support novel ideas for future grants, contracts and intellectual property.
• To promote team science, implemented several strategies that resulted in double-digit increases in multi-PI grants.

Moffitt Cancer Center

Director of NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Moffitt Research Institute was the academic home of roughly 100 PhD-prepared scientists and 900 staff and trainees. It contained three Divisions and eight academic departments. As the Director, I was accountable for all policies and procedures, including appointment, promotion and tenure, annual performance reviews, space allocation and incentive programs. Oversaw an annual budget of approximately $150M.

• Doubled research expenditures from $78.5M to $170M.
• Created Division of Quantitative Science with three Departments: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Integrated Mathematical Oncology, and Machine Learning in Cancer.
• Achieved international recognition as best place to work for researchers.
• Increased faculty and staff at annualized rate of roughly 10% per year.
• Developed formal grant-writing programs that resulted in success rates double national average.

Director, Moffitt Research Institute

The integrated nature of the organization required active involvement in strategic planning and coordinated decision making across research, the hospital and clinics, the physician practice, the foundation and start-up companies.

• Generated 171 US patents, 660 IP disclosures, 215 licensing agreements and 14 start-up companies.
• Developed 144 industry partnerships netting over $153M in new research revenue in just 5 years.
• Established data infrastructure to integrate electronic medical record, financial and administrative data.
• Played a key role in the design and implementation of the IRB-approved Total Cancer Care (TCC) research protocol to advance personalized medicine that enrolled >150,000 subjects and led to M2Gen for-profit subsidiary.
• Helped create and grow the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) from two to nineteen members across the US, that eventually accrued over 500,000 patients.
• Led institutional strategy for Digital Care/Discovery Accelerator to improve patient care and create
novel research opportunities.
• Helped manage change that rapidly improved employee engagement from 12th to 90th percentile.
• Key contributor to the design of the enterprise data warehouse, including the recognition that the stakeholders would include hospital and clinic administration and finance. Indeed, 40% of the early data requests were from team members outside of research, which are now addressed through routine dashboards.
* Accountable for enterprise wide analytic strategy, which was designed and led by one of two Vice Presidents who reported to me.
* Played a major role in communication. Only EVP to share the stage with the CEO at annual Board meetings and State of the Institute meetings to faculty and staff.

Executive Vice President

The Mayo Clinic is one of the premier and best recognized health care providers in the world. The mission also includes research and education. I held two leadership positions in the Cancer Center: Associate Director for four years, and Deputy Director for one. 

* I started at Mayo eight weeks before the competitive renewal of the P30 (Cancer Center Support Grant) that confers designation by the National Cancer Institute was due. When asked to present my "vision" to the External Advisory Board my first week in the role, I realized regardless of who wrote the population science program for the grant, I was going to have to defend it at the site visit a few months later. With terrific support and cooperation, we pulled together a credible description, defended it well, and the "comprehensive" status was renewed by the NCI.

* Over four years, with just three faculty positions to recruit to, we grew the population science membership from 13 to over 50 members. That justified the creation of an entirely new Program in the next renewal.

* The culture at Mayo was fantastic, and the focus on the needs of the patient was deeply instilled. The mentorship and sponsorship by Dr. Frank Prendergast, the Center Director, provided many skills and lessons that were never forgotten.

Mayo Clinic

Associate Director/Deputy Director, Cancer Center

Faculty member in the Department of Health Sciences Research.

* My personal research thrived. Obtained funding to study genetic susceptibility to cancer as Principal Investigator (PI) a P01, an R01, and an R25T Postdoctoral Fellowship grant. Co-PI on a large Center of Excellence grant from the Department of Defense and a large cohort study from the National Cancer Institute. My laboratory grew to 20+.

Mayo Clinic School of Medicine

Professor of Epidemiology

The University of Minnesota was one of the highest ranked Schools of Public Health. They were famous for their Division of Epidemiology. I joined as a tenure-track faculty member and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure after four years. After filling in for my mentor while he was on sabbatical, when he departed I was asked to join efforts to secure National Cancer Institute designation. I served on the leadership team that not only received the P30 Cancer Center Support grant on the first submission, but also comprehensive status - the first time that was ever accomplished.

* Garnered my first R01 grant on the first submission. That served as the foundation for the Program Project grant at Mayo. Obtained other grants as Principal Investigator and co-investigator on several others.
* Developed two new courses: 1) Genetic Epidemiology (with Dr. Stephen Rich) and 2) Fundamentals of Teaching (with Dr. David Murray). Taught the Introduction to Epidemiology course for non-majors for nine years, which contributed to a textbook with Dr. Robert Friis (Epidemiology for Public Health Practice) that has sold over 100,000 copies and is now in its sixth edition.

Thomas A. Sellers, PhD, MPH