Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., FACE, the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions’ associate dean for research and a dean’s professor in the department of epidemiology in PHHP and the College of Medicine, has been named president-elect of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science. Her term as president will begin in April 2022.
The Association for Clinical and Translational Science, or ACTS, was founded in 2009 to support the needs of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program, a National Institutes of Health-funded network of medical research institutions that works to improve the translational research process and speed new treatments to patients. ACTS currently represents nearly 8,000 members from academia, industry, philanthropic agencies and government.
Cottler has previously served on the ACTS board of directors and as co-chair of its Advancement of Community Engaged Research special interest group.
“Dr. Cottler has been a tireless advocate for research participants, special populations and excellence in community engaged research,” said Christopher John Lindsell, Ph.D., the current president of ACTS. “We will benefit greatly from the purposeful attention she has paid to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout her career, and her outstanding research record and academic leadership experience.”
Cottler is the founding director of HealthStreet, a community engagement program in which community health workers assess health concerns and needs of community members and provide referrals to medical and social services and opportunities to participate in research. She is also the director of community engagement for the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute. An internationally recognized expert in psychiatric epidemiology, Cottler’s research has focused on populations underrepresented in research in order to increase health equity. Current studies explore the risk for and consequences of addiction, polysubstance use, surveillance methods for emerging drug trends, and community engaged studies.
“We look forward to working with Dr. Cottler over the next few years, and helping her lead ACTS from strength to strength,” Lindsell said.