The Loma Linda University Health Board of Trustees has voted Travis Losey, MD, chair of the Department of Neurology, to serve as the new vice president of Research Affairs. Losey will succeed Michael Samardzija, PhD, JD, who served in the position since 2016 and announced earlier this year his intention to return to the practice of law.
Losey has served as the Neurology chair since November of 2021 and brings a wealth of research and research education experience. He has been widely published in numerous medical journals and is a journal reviewer for major journals in the fields of neurology and epilepsy. He served as chair of the LLUH Institutional Review Board from 2015 to 2021.
Losey graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2002. He completed a neurology residency at Loma Linda University Health and a fellowship in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. He also completed graduate-level studies in clinical trial design and biostatistics at Arizona State University.
“The vice president of Research Affairs position is so crucial for our ability as an organization to further knowledge. Dr. Losey’s clinical expertise and his passion for research and teaching students will grow our research capabilities during our next phase of growth and contributions to various medical fields,” said Richard Hart, president of Loma Linda University Health.
Loma Linda University Health conducts numerous studies, largely across the areas of cancer, neuroscience, mother and child, and longevity.
LLUH in recent years has achieved R2 status as a research facility, sharply increased the number of grants it receives, and has also become a minority-serving institution—enabling it to obtain grants for serving minority populations.
Hart said the next phase of research will further develop clinical infrastructure, especially as LLUH is working toward National Cancer Institute designation status.
Losey said two major areas of priority for him would include collaboration between departments and examining healthcare disparities.
“I look forward to collaborating with and fostering connections between researchers across our institution to advance our research mission,” Losey said. “We’re fortunate to serve a very diverse community and diverse patient population, research involving healthcare disparities is an additional area where we can deepen our expertise.”
Losey will begin in his new post September 1 while Samardzija will remain on during the transition through October 1.