Terence R. Flotte, MD

President-Elect

Terence R. Flotte, MD, is the Celia and Isaac Haidak professor, tenured professor of pediatrics, executive deputy chancellor, provost, and chief research officer at UMass Chan Medical School; and the dean at T.H. Chan School of Medicine

Most of Dr. Flotte's cited research (H-index 84, Google Scholar) has focused on the biology and human use of adeno-associated virus (AAV). In 1993, he published the first successful in vivo gene transfer with AAV, showing that long-term expression in rabbits and primates was due to episomal persistence with reduced risk. This led to the first-ever human trial of AAV, which he led in 1995. He also led the first rAAV trials in alpha-1 antitrypsin and Tay-Sachs Disease, the latter showing promising clinical benefits.

Modeling the structure of the school on his own success in gene therapy, Dr. Flotte in his role as dean of the medical school has founded innovative programs and departments (in Bioinformatics, RNA Therapeutics, Systems Biology, Gene Therapy, Digital Medicine) to foster a collaborative environment across departments as well as between bench research and clinical labs. His leadership as dean has transformed UMass Medical School into an impressive center for cutting-edge research and new clinical trials. This has led to a significant increase in the amount of funding that the university has attracted, which has more than doubled since 2007, even as funding has become more difficult to obtain every year. His university leadership has helped build a world-class research institution.

Dr. Flotte's national leadership in the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans, the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, NIH committees and as Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy has helped develop a new molecularly savvy generation of clinicians, educators, and researchers.