VPR Leadership

Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, is Vice President for Research and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. In her capacity as Vice President for Research, she oversees multiple complex organizational units reporting to the VPR including Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR); Institutional Core Facilities (ICF); Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA); and the Research Protection Programs consisting of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care Program (IACP), Clinical Trials Office (CTO), Office of Clinical Research (OCR) and Conflict of Interest (COI).

Dr. Potter is a national expert in substance use disorders with particular emphasis on increasing access to evidence-based treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders. Dr. Potter’s NIH-funded research focuses on the design and conduct of behavioral and pharmacological treatments for substance use disorder with a recent emphasis on technology-based treatments for opioids and stimulants. Dr. Potter is a recognized Principal Investigator with the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN).

In addition to her NIH research, Dr. Potter is leading strategic public health initiatives funded by Texas Health and Human Service (HHS) with the goal to increase access to substance use disorder treatment for Texans. In 2020, the program expanded in response to an uptick created by the COVID-19 pandemic to offer additional support for people seeking assistance for problematic substance use and substance use disorder.

Other statewide programs funded by HHS include an outpatient opioid use disorder provider treatment network, a peer recovery support network, a virtual provider clinical to service underserved areas, a hospital-based addiction treatment initiation and professional development for health care providers treating opioid use disorder.

Prior to joining the health science center in 2008, Dr. Potter was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Potter holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia and a Master of Public Health degree from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Sunil Ahuja, MD oversees activities related to enhancing and facilitating the research programs of investigators and their funding via peer-reviewed and mentoring programs such as GrantSeekers 2.0, the Researcher’s Enhancement Program, and the Collaborative Research Program.

Jason Bates, MBA, is the Director of the Clinical Trials Office at UT Health San Antonio. Mr. Bates’ primary role is focused on research operations and financial management. Mr. Bates has experience in research, including: regulatory, operations and financial management of phase II-IV clinical research trials.

Carlotta Bell, MEd, MBA is the Director of Finance & Administration in the Office of the Vice President for Research.  She supports the VPR in overseeing budgetary and administrative operations of the VPR’s office and reporting departments, provides guidance and direction to ensure compliance with institutional policy and procedures, and acts as a liaison between the VPR and the many academic and service departments across the organization.

Robert A. Clark, MD, MACP is the Founding Director of the Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS), which serves as the academic and administrative home for the NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). The CTSA cores comprise Informatics, Biostatistics, Workforce Development, Community-Engaged Research, Pilot Projects, Regulatory Knowledge, Hub Capacity, Network Capacity, and Drug Development. The program also includes linked NIH awards in support of pre- and post-doctoral translational research training (TL1) and mentored career development for junior faculty (KL2). IIMS is also home to the Perry and Ruby Stevens Parkinson’s Disease Center of Excellence. Dr. Clark’s laboratory research focuses on host immune responses and inflammation, including inflammatory neurodegenerative disorders, especially Parkinson’s disease.

Claudia Y. Delgado, MBA oversees the Office of Sponsored Programs, Research IT and the Institutional Core Laboratories.

Anthony Francis leads our efforts in commercialization and partnering. With an extensive track record at UCSF and Australia, he has won national awards and recognition for his work in commercialization. Anthony sees a tremendous opportunity at UT Health San Antonio to bring his skills to help grow the University’s portfolio of opportunity and to grow the local economy. 

Mark Goldberg, MD, is Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Initiatives in the Office of the Vice President for Research. Dr. Goldberg supports promotion of interdisciplinary research opportunities and external research partnerships. He is a Professor of Neurology and neuroscientist with special interests in injury and recovery after stroke. Dr. Goldberg is a member of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Texas Lone Star Stroke Consortium, and the UT San Antonio MATRIX Artificial Intelligence Consortium.

Chris G. Green, CPA is the Assistant Vice President of Sponsored Programs and has been at the UT Health San Antonio for over thirty (30) years.  He oversees both pre- and post-award sponsored programs administration including negotiation of clinical study and other agreements, compensation documentation, and F&A rate proposal preparation and negotiation.  He is also staffed to various institutional research committees that assist to develop and grow new research programs to advance human health at UT Health San Antonio. 

Sander Hacker, VMD is the University Attending Veterinarian and Director for the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR). DLAR provides oversight and management of all aspects of the research animal care and use program at UT Health San Antonio which includes animal procurement, housing, husbandry and veterinary care along with investigator consultation and veterinary technical support during development and performance of research studies in accordance with federal, state and local regulations and policies, and the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC).

Babatunde “Kay” Oyajobi, MBBS, PhD, MBA is the Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA), an institutional resource to enhance the environment for postdoctoral research training. OPA maintains postdoctoral trainee databases; communicates with postdoctoral trainees via weekly announcements; provides orientation, mentoring, grantsmanship, and career development workshops; offers career counseling to postdoctoral research fellows; and, supports activities of the local postdoctoral association (UP) and the annual San Antonio Postdoctoral Research Forum. He seeks to be not only an exemplary educator, but also a role model and mentor to trainees, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

Salma Quraishi, PhD directs research development efforts designed to offer investigators strategic support in maximizing funding success. Her office provides resources and services aimed at identifying best fit funding opportunities, producing competitive proposals, shepherding large projects to submission, and collaborative teaming. Prior to joining UT Health San Antonio, she managed a clinical and translational neuroscience review portfolio at the National Institutes of Health.  

Ramiro Ramirez-Solis, PhD directs the Institutional Research Core Facilities and leads enhancement, coordination and collaborations with our research partners in the biosciences industry. He also oversees the business operations, infrastructure and investments for the institutional research cores. Prior to joining UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Ramirez-Solis served as head of scientific operations for mouse pipelines at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom for almost 10 years.

Stephanie Rowan, PhD, MN, RN, is the Director of the Clinical Research Implementation Office (CRIO), an institutional resource to enhance the capacity for investigator initiated clinical research. Support services include systematic study feasibility assessment, research grant and protocol development, participant recruitment and retention plan development, guidance for data collection across diverse clinical settings and research team training for ensuring GCP and adherence to FDA regulatory documentation requirements with the institution’s electronic investigator site file (eISF) solution.

Kimberly Summers, PharmD, oversees the Institutional Review Board (IRB) including the research component of HIPAA, Office of Clinical Trials (CTO), Office of Clinical Research (OCR), Export Controls, Conflict of Interest (COI), and research administration quality improvement. She develops written program guidance with respect to issues of compliance with federal and state regulations; monitors and interprets legislation and policies regarding research involving human participants and recommends modifications to institutional policy as needed.

Jeannette M. Watterson, Ph.D., is Director of the Institutional Review Board at UT Health San Antonio.  As IRB Director, she is responsible for the oversight of all clinical trials and other research involving human subjects, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulatory requirements to protect the health, safety, and rights of research participants.