By Kyle Wheeler, Marketing & Communications Specialist, SVPHS Research Unit
Willard Dere, M.D., F.A.C.P., Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR), has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year, which concludes at the end of June.
Dr. Dere’s retirement caps a prolific career that has spanned the public and private sectors and has been bookended with service at the University of Utah. As he embarks on this new phase of life, his retirement has evoked reflection from those who have worked with him and seen firsthand his significant impact on forwarding the research mission of U of U Health.
After completing medical school at University of California, Davis, Dr. Dere came to the U of U in 1980 for his internal medicine internship and residency. After completing a fellowship, he returned to the U where he worked as an attending physician until 1989.
As Dr. Dere’s career progressed, it intersected with research and he found opportunities open in the biopharmaceutical sector. With his experience and leadership, he went on to become the Senior Vice President of Global Development and International Chief Medical Officer at Amgen, Inc.
Dr. Dere returned to the U in 2014. Here, he has become an increasingly important voice in leadership, assuming the roles of co-director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (now an institute), and co-director of the Center for Genomic Medicine. He also served as the interim vice dean for research in the School of Medicine. He ultimately became the AVPR for U of U Health in 2019.
His mixture of familiarity with the U, experience in the private sector, and exposure to science across the translational spectrum has lent to his unique and comprehensive understanding of the role and potential of health sciences research at the U.
In announcing Rachel Hess, M.D., M.S. as his replacement for the position of AVPR, Michael Good, M.D., CEO of U of U Health noted that, “We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Dere for his remarkable leadership and vision.” Good continued, “He came to us with an international reputation of clinical research excellence in academics and the biopharmaceutical industry and used his background to recruit top-notch talent and build a stellar reputation for U of U Health research. He has built a strong foundation that ensures U of U Health research will continue to move forward and thrive under Dr. Hess’ leadership.”
It is notable that as AVPR, Dr. Dere oversaw the development of a five-year strategy for health sciences research as part of U of U Health’s “Strategy 2025.” Alongside his many leadership accomplishments, he has expanded the institution’s growth trajectory in research funding. From fiscal years 2018 to 2021, health sciences research funding grew from $356 million to $428 million. Significantly, during this last fiscal year, health sciences research funding represented 67% of research funding at the U.
Upon announcement of Dr. Dere’s retirement, Amy Tanner, M.H.A., M.P.H., senior director of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Research Unit wrote, “Dr. Dere has been an incredible leader and deeply generous and kind member of our health sciences community.”
Comments and remarks from the U community have been abundant and have made clear that Dr. Dere’s leadership has been impactful on both an institutional and personal levels. He will be missed.