OVPR announces new office, director of research compliance review

In an era when advances in science—particularly biology and biotechnology—are introducing revolutionary new ways to promote health and treat disease, it is imperative that research involving human volunteers be conducted with the utmost levels of respect, caution, care and safety, the vice president for research says.

John Mather (Photo courtesy John Mather)

To support the University's strong commitment to the protection of human participants in research, the Office of the Vice President for Research has established the Office of Research Compliance Review (ORCR). The ORCR will assist faculty in reviewing their research projects involving human participants for compliance, conduct compliance reviews requested by federal oversight bodies, and conduct periodic reviews of operations of the University's Human Subject Compliance sub-systems.

"We place a high priority on seeing that human subjects research is conducted according to the highest ethical and regulatory standards," says Fawwaz Ulaby, vice president for research. "I am very pleased to be able to announce that John Mather is joining the University of Michigan beginning in October, as director of the Office of Research Compliance Review."

Mather received his undergraduate training at the John Lyon School in the United Kingdom. He completed his medical degree at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, where he also served as house officer. Mather completed residencies in pediatrics, general surgery and otolaryngology at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore. He then served as a major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and as senior surgeon in the U.S. Public Health Service.

Mather began his long and illustrious career with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as director in the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs Bureau of Health Manpower. He also has served as director in several offices of the Veterans Administration Central Office; chief medical director and chief medical officer in the Social Security Administration; assistant inspector general for healthcare inspections in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and until recently, chief officer, Office of Research Compliance and Assurance, Veterans Health Administration, VA.

Mather will assume his new position Oct. 6. The ORCR will start out in temporary quarters in Medical Science Building I and move to its permanent home in January in 300 North Ingalls Building.

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