In an effort to spur interdisciplinary research across the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, Lindsay Thompson, M.S., M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, has been selected as the first assistant director of clinical research for the Institute for Child Health Policy.
“Our goal is to enhance the institute’s existing strengths in policy and community-based research on a national level with a strong clinical emphasis,” explained Betsy Shenkman, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Child Health Policy. “Dr. Thompson is the ideal choice to strengthen our clinical focus due to her dedication to improving children’s health and advancing evidence-based research.”
Thompson currently serves as a co-investigator on two research grants run through the Institute for Child Health Policy. One study uses health information technology to improve adolescent vaccination rates, and the other aims to create quality measures for oral health in pediatric settings. As assistant director, Thompson will help build more research collaborations between institute faculty and pediatric faculty, secure clinical settings as research venues and provide clinical insight for the institute’s studies. Already, work groups have been formed to explore studies spanning important areas in maternal and child health such as adverse childhood events and oral health.
“I am looking forward to increasing the amount of implementation science performed in the Department of Pediatrics and helping more clinicians be involved in health services research,” Thompson said. “I specifically hope to strengthen the training and life-long learning of current and emerging pediatricians to equip them to become physician scientists.”
The appointment of an assistant director from the Department of Pediatrics also aligns with UF Health’s strategic vision of implementing research findings in clinical settings to improve the quality of care that patients receive.
“Population-based medicine is becoming ever so important to our society,” said Scott A. Rivkees, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “Dr. Thompson will allow us to expand our pediatric research program in this emerging area.”