Susan Autry serves as the Executive Director for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at UC San Francisco. Funded by the NIH, CTSI's mission is to create a comprehensive, integrated academic home that promotes research and education in clinical and translational science at UCSF, at affiliated institutions, with industry and participating communities. Fostering Translational Science — or the conversion of scientific discoveries from laboratories into practical medical advances is CTSI's aim and will further increase UCSF's worldwide leadership in transforming medicine and patient care.
Susan came to UCSF from UC Santa Barbara where she served as the Director of Administration and Government Liaison for the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB), a congressionally chartered University Affiliated Research Center funded by the US Army Research Office. As Liaison, she served as the high-level interface between the ICB and the Army and other branches and agencies of Federal and State Governments, the military, other Universities, the media and the public. Susan’s scientific background together with her MBA, uniquely positioned her to guide the process of basic scientific research through the discovery, testing and development phases though federal and government/military regulatory processes.
Susan previously served as Executive Director for the Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology funded by the National Science Foundation and headquartered at the University of California, Davis. Ms. Autry worked with diverse research groups including multiple universities, governmental agencies, the military, and corporate partners; collaborating with physicians, veterinarians, physicists, engineers, chemists, and pharmacologists.
Prior to this position, she served as the Program Manager of the Neutron Capture Therapy Program and the Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Laser Applications in Medicine for UC Davis. These large multi-disciplinary research groups are focused on the treatment of malignant cancers and developing biomedical technology in imaging, diagnosis and therapy. Active in research prior to joining UC Davis, Ms. Autry has held a variety of research positions that include projects funded by the military and NIH at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Pharmacology.
Ms. Autry has extensive management experience working with numerous state, federal and private funding agencies, academic as well as industry partners. She has tapped her program development and leadership skills to build some of the University’s most prestigious programs. These programs were built on successful collaboration with extremely diverse disciplines in science, medicine, engineering, and education as well as diverse institutions and cultures, including national labs, industry, foundations, and government.
She holds a bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Texas and a Master of Business Administration with Specialization in Science and Technology Management from the University of California, Davis.