Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., associate professor, has been named the Department’s newest Associate Chair of Research. Dr. Richardson has been a member of the Department of Family Medicine since 1998. She has done extensive research on physical activity, web-based health interventions, diabetes and veterans’ health that has been published in nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications and earned numerous major grants.
“Because she has been instrumental in so many areas of the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Richardson understands both our culture as well as our potential to perform cutting edge research. She is very excited to take on the role of Associate Chair, and plans to work closely with her research colleagues, as well as with those clinical faculty doing scholarly work, to bring us to the next level of national renown,” said Philip Zazove, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine.
“The University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine Research group is currently one of the strongest Family Medicine Research groups in the country and it is an honor to be asked to lead it. My goal is to provide an infrastructure that supports this group of outstanding researchers so they can contribute their expertise to solving some of the many tough problems we are facing in our health care system today,” said Dr. Richardson.
Dr. Richardson is also the medical director at the Ypsilanti Health Center, co-director of the Clinical Scholars Program, a leader of U-M’s Institute for Health Policy Research and associate editor of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Richardson takes over this leadership role from Mack T. Ruffin IV, M.D, M.P.H., the Dr. Max and Buena Lichter Research Professor in Family Medicine, who led family medicine’s research team for twelve years. Under his leadership the Department has remained in the top ten of NIH funding within family medicine. And, an expanded mentoring program for clinical faculty and resident scholarly projects has been incredibly successful.
“During Dr. Ruffin’s tenure, we have become recognized as one of the top Family Medicine research departments and I thank him for his years of service. I am excited that he plans to stay with us as a colleague in support of all our missions and look forward to working with him as he continues his strong career as a senior leader in our Department,” noted Dr. Zazove.
