Charles J. Frazier, Ph.D., an integral member of the Department of Pharmacodynamics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy for the past two decades, has been named the department’s new chair, effective Oct. 14. He succeeds Thomas Burris, Ph.D., who will remain with the department as a professor and associate chair, in addition to serving as director of the UF Genetics Institute.
For the past 16 months, Frazier has taken on the role of associate chair in the Department of Pharmacodynamics. The experience has provided him with valuable insights into the responsibilities of the chair position, and it has equipped him to take on a larger leadership role in guiding the department. As associate chair, Frazier successfully recruited several tenure-track, research-track, and clinical faculty. He also collaborated with faculty members to craft a new mission statement and set department goals while ensuring the department met its teaching and service obligations to the college.
“Dr. Frazier has shown exceptional leadership during his time as associate chair, excelling in faculty recruitment and mentorship, while earning widespread support from his colleagues — qualities that make him an excellent choice to lead the Department of Pharmacodynamics,” said Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean and professor in the UF College of Pharmacy. “His promotion to chair comes at a pivotal moment, as we expand our recruiting efforts and work to integrate new faculty, staff, and students into the departmental and college culture.”
Since joining the UF College of Pharmacy in 2003, Frazier has led a successful and highly collaborative lab while securing more than $17 million in grant funding. His research explores how cellular and synaptic physiology in the central nervous system influences broader physiological systems and behaviors, particularly in health and disease states. In addition to his research, Frazier served as the department’s graduate coordinator for seven years. He mentored more than a dozen graduate students over this time and was recognized as a UF Term Professor in 2017.
Frazier will take the helm of a department comprising 17 faculty members spanning tenure-track, research, and instructional roles, who secured nearly $5 million in research funding in the past year. He will drive initiatives to recruit new talent while providing support for current faculty. One of his goals will be to redesign the graduate program to better integrate with new faculty members and their research areas. He will also seek to expand research collaborations between department faculty and other experts within UF Health’s academic colleges.
“I understand and appreciate the chair position to be a service job, through and through, where the time and energy invested in the role can elevate the Department of Pharmacodynamics and the UF College of Pharmacy,” said Frazier. “It is an exciting time for the department, as we welcome new team members and redefine our mission in terms of research, graduate education, and service to the broader UF Health community.”
Frazier earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1997. He completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Case Western Reserve University and a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in UF’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics before joining the UF College of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in 2003.