(Las Vegas, NV): Dean Ronald Brown of the School of Integrated Health Sciences (SIHS) has named Peter G. Kaufmann, Ph.D. as its next associate dean of research and professor in the Department of Brain Health, effective Sept. 1, 2022.
Kaufmann’s research has spanned the areas of disease prevention, cardiovascular disease risk factors, clinical trials, behavioral and social influences on health, and health disparities in his long-term career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also has extensive experience fostering high-quality biomedical research, cross-institutional collaborations, and the development of early-stage investigators’ expertise and diversity in research.
“Advancing research and education throughout UNLV’s health sciences disciplines is vital to our success as a university and a key part of our mission to support the health and wellness of Southern Nevadans,” said UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield. “We’re excited to welcome Peter Kaufmann to UNLV. He brings tremendous research and leadership experience to the position and is ideally suited to partner with the school’s outstanding faculty to continue to elevate research in Integrated Health Sciences.”
Clinical Experience, Involvement, Publications, and Awards
Kaufmann has had a leading role in designing and conducting multi-site clinical trials at the Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the NIH involving drugs, behavioral interventions, and optimization of interventions for diverse participants. As Principal Investigator for CHAMPS: A Study of the COVID-19 Workforce, he is investigating the health and well-being of frontline COVID-19 health care workers and others who work in communities to support the care of COVID-19 patients across the United States. Kaufmann is very excited to join the School of Integrated Health Sciences. “The UNLV research enterprise has seen remarkable growth and is recognized as one of the leading research universities in the nation,” said Kaufmann. “Many directions in the SIHS are already making an impact. The opportunities for advancing biomedical and biobehavioral research have never been better. I look forward to collaborating with its exceptional faculty in forging future advances that will benefit the health of the region and the nation.”
Kaufmann has published more than 170 research papers in various scientific journals and six books and monographs. He has received numerous awards for leadership on the NIH Obesity Research Task Force, his service on the 2011 Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill Team, and service on the Sickle Cell Disease Task Force; he currently serves as the associate editor of the journal, Health Psychology.
Kaufmann has served on several NIH grant and contract review committees, the Health Care Financing Administration, the American Heart Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has previously served as President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.
“Dr. Kaufmann is uniquely qualified to lead innovative, thoughtful, and strategic planning efforts for the School of Integrated Health Sciences,” said Dean Ron Brown. “Peter has an undisputable track record for influential research and experience at the NIH that fits well with our vision for research at UNLV. We are pleased to welcome him.”
Before arriving at UNLV, Kaufmann spent the last three years as an associate dean for research at Villanova University. Prior to that, he was a faculty member at Duke University before his service at the NIH. He spent time at the University of South Florida and the University of Colorado since leaving the NIH.