Jennifer K. Lodge, PhD (’88), associate dean for research and professor of molecular microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been appointed vice chancellor for research for the university. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; and H. Holden Thorp, PhD, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, made the announcement.
Lodge, whose appointment is effective July 1, succeeds Evan Kharasch, MD, PhD, the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Professor of Anesthesiology and professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics. He is stepping down after serving in the role since 2009.
“We are extremely pleased that Professor Lodge has agreed to lend her considerable talents to this important role, and very grateful to Evan Kharasch for his years of distinguished service,” Wrighton said. “Our research enterprise is an integral part of the university’s mission, and I am confident that, under Jenny’s leadership, our ambitious goals in this critical area will be met and exceeded.”
Lodge will assume a dual role and continue as associate dean for research at the School of Medicine, a position to which she was appointed in 2009. Since then, she has coordinated efforts to advance research at the School of Medicine, with a particular focus on interdisciplinary projects involving multiple departments and core facilities that serve a wide variety of researchers. She has assisted faculty in identifying potential funding opportunities and maximizing the benefits of school-wide investments in research.
“Professor Lodge’s demonstrated success in leading sponsored research administration makes her exceptionally well-qualified for this position,” Thorp said. “Her passion and determination will be tremendous assets as we push to grow our research enterprise and translate the results of these efforts into benefits for society.”
“We are committed to pursuing research that will lead to innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges,” Shapiro said. “Jenny Lodge has the vision, expertise and enthusiasm to help researchers at the university achieve these efforts.”
In her new role, Lodge will serve as an officer of Washington University and a member of the University Council. She will be the chief officer responsible for the university’s research mission, overseeing more than $600 million in annual sponsored research and managing the development of research policies, grants and contracts, and the continuing education of faculty and staff regarding research regulations.
Lodge previously served as associate dean for research and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine; had postdoctoral fellowships at Monsanto Co. and Washington University; and served as a research assistant at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and at Harvard University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, and her doctorate in biomedical sciences from Washington University in 1988.
Lodge was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011 and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2010. She has published more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and holds a U.S. patent for virus-resistant potato plants. She continues to pursue NIH-funded research on mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis, anti-fungal drug discovery and vaccine development.