Appointment of Vice Chancellor for Research

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Aileen Anderson, director of the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, as our next vice chancellor for research at UC Irvine, effective July 1.

Professor Anderson brings extensive experience in research administration, faculty recruitment, strategic infrastructure development, and interdisciplinary collaboration to this critical role. In her current position, she has overseen administrative operations, research programs, and strategic planning for the multi-discipline SCRC research facility. Her leadership has been instrumental in securing extramural funding and developing innovative research and training programs.

Throughout her distinguished career, Professor Anderson has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering a thriving, inclusive and interdisciplinary research environment. She has a proven track record in building research infrastructure, supporting faculty and trainee development, and engaging with the broader community. Her vision for enhancing UCI's research enterprise aligns closely with our institutional priorities.

Professor Anderson earned her bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her Ph.D. in biology and neurobiology from UC Irvine, completing her postdoctoral training at Harvard University. She has been a member of the UCI faculty since 2001, with appointments in the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurosurgery.

I am grateful to the search committee and its chair, Magnus Egerstedt, dean of the Samueli School of Engineering, for their hard work in identifying and helping recruit such an outstanding academic leader. 

Professor Anderson will serve as vice chancellor of research during a time when the national research environment is both highly competitive and critically important to our collective future. I am confident in her ability to lead our research mission with integrity, creativity and purpose, and I look forward to what she and our robust research community will accomplish together.

Chancellor Howard Gillman