F’s newest research center has a new name and new leadership that will help the institution drive the future of biomedical research and innovation.

The Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation provided $100 million — the largest gift from an individual donor in University of Florida history — to elevate the stature of UF Scripps as one of the world’s leading forces in biomedical research and to advance the ground-breaking work of faculty at the Jupiter, Florida, campus, now called The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology.

This transformational lead investment will launch a 10-year, $1 billion public-private partnership — spearheaded by The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute — that is focused on amplifying fundamental science, driving research that translates profound discoveries from bench to bedside to business, training the next generation of innovators and investigators and improving the health outcomes and experiences of countless patients and families in Palm Beach County, throughout Florida and across the nation.

The new UF associate vice president of research, Joe G.N. “Skip” Garcia, MD, recently joined the faculty of the Jupiter campus as the Herbert A. Wertheim Professor of Inflammation Science. A distinguished pulmonologist and critical care physician, Garcia is internationally recognized as a preeminent authority on the genetic basis of inflammatory lung disease, the development of novel biomarkers and therapies for critically ill patients, and the examination of lung health disparities among vulnerable populations. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

In his role at UF, Garcia serves as the founding director of a dynamic new center for the study of inflammation biology — the Center for Inflammation Science and Systems Medicine. The center focuses on conducting groundbreaking research and training at the intersection of immunology, vascular biology, drug discovery and data science, facilitating and catalyzing research initiatives and training the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists to excel in translational biomedical research. As the associate vice president for research, Garcia promotes ways to enhance the research mission across UF Health, from the colleges to the centers and institutes.

“I’m energized by the opportunity to join the UF faculty and to partner with colleagues at such a crucial time, to support and grow the research mission and, in the coming years, to add to the stellar track record of scientific breakthroughs at UF, UF Health and The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute,” Garcia said.

This story originally ran in the Spring 2023 issue of the Doctor Gator newsletter.