Laura Viera named assistant vice chancellor for clinical research

A message from Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Laura Viera as assistant vice chancellor for clinical research for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) and as clinical research integration officer for the UNC School of Medicine (SOM), effective September 30. In these new roles, she will provide leadership and strategic direction for Carolina’s clinical research enterprise, spanning operations within the University.  

Viera most recently served as the OVCR’s interim director for clinical research, a role she held since November 2023. As interim director, she led the burgeoning One UNC Clinical Research Initiative — a joint effort between the University and UNC Health to make the clinical research administrative processes more synergistic, efficient, and effective — out of its design phase and into implementation. In spearheading the initiative, she provided leadership and direction to a variety of intuitional programs to streamline and optimize all aspects of clinical research operations, strategy, and compliance across UNC-CH and UNC Health. 

Prior to joining the OVCR leadership team, Viera held leadership and administration positions with the NC Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), SOM’s Clinical Research Support Office, the Department of Family Medicine, and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.  

She holds a master’s degree in research and experimental psychology from East Carolina University, a bachelor’s in psychology from Meredith College, and has authored and contributed to many academic publications.  

Please join me in congratulating Laura on her appointment.