William Ball, MD, Appointed Interim Vice President for Research

CINCINNATI—William Ball, MD, has been appointed interim vice president for research for the University of Cincinnati (UC) effective Aug. 1.

Ball will be responsible for the university’s research enterprise, which last year received more than $443 million in funding, placing UC No. 25 in the country among public universities for federal research expenditures. Reporting to Santa Ono, PhD, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, the Office of Research includes all graduate and undergraduate research efforts, intellectual property, entrepreneurial affairs and technology commercialization, and sponsored research administration.

"There is tremendous respect by the university community for Dr. Ball as a scientist, clinician and administrator,” Ono said. "Researchers across the university express admiration for him as a human being and for his knowledge of the entire research portfolio at UC. We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber step into this important role for the university. I am looking forward to working with him to move UC to even greater heights as a research powerhouse."

Currently a UC professor of radiology, biomedical engineering and pediatrics and former interim chair and chair of the university’s department of biomedical engineering from 2001 to 2008, Ball has extensive experience in cross-campus collaboration, Ono noted. He currently serves as attending neuroradiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

"I am deeply honored to be asked to fill this essential role at UC in what is now a very exciting time with respect to new direction and leadership at the university. There is no reason to believe, based on the quality of our students, faculty, and staff as well as available resources, that we cannot significantly advance our research efforts regionally, nationally and internationally,” Ball said.

Ball received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed a fellowship in pediatric radiology/pediatric neuroradiology at Cincinnati Children’s. He completed one year of fellowship training in neuroradiology and served on their faculty at the University of New Mexico Medical Center before joining UC and Cincinnati Children’s in 1984.

While at UC, Ball has chaired or co-chaired a number of initiatives, including the Bioinformatics Taskforce, the Civic Engagement Council, the Initiatives subcommittee of the Academic Priorities Taskforce and the Research in Radiology Taskforce. He is a steering committee member for the university’s Clinical and Translational Science Award through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training, and was a member of the executive committee for the College of Medicine’s strategic planning initiative.

Ball has conducted extensive research on pediatric neuro-imaging and has contributed to nearly 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 13 book chapters.

Ball replaces Sandra Degen, PhD, who announced in May that she is stepping down from the position July 1 to return to the faculty. Degen served as vice president for research since September 2004.

During her tenure, research funding for the university and its affiliates increased from $319 million to more than $443 million in fiscal year 2010. During this time, the university was awarded a $23 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health and was the recipient of more than 130 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act awards totaling more than $57 million.