David R. Nelson, M.D., was appointed senior vice president for health affairs at the University of Florida and president of UF Health in April 2019. Dr. Nelson oversees operations for all components of UF Health, the university’s academic health center, with campuses in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Central Florida. This includes six health science colleges, 10 interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, four hospital systems and more than 100 physician practices. Dr. Nelson is committed to strategically positioning UF Health for smart growth, with a focus on engaging in high-value partnerships that further shared cultures and goals; enhancing operations; supporting faculty, staff and students; and fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. A key UF Health mission is exploring ways to optimize the speed of translation of research, bringing science to the bedside and to the community to improve patient care for individuals and populations — with a vision of transforming lives in the pursuit of world-class patient outcomes while strengthening integration, energizing collaboration and enhancing impact. Under Dr. Nelson’s leadership, The Weirtheim UF Scripps Institute joined the UF and UF Health family in April 2022. A professor of medicine and an expert in liver disease, Dr. Nelson’s record of academic achievement includes more than $100 million in research funding, more than 200 publications and multiple leadership roles in his area of expertise.