Bill Yates Appointed Vice Chancellor for Research Protections

Bill Yates has been appointed vice chancellor for research protections, where he will lead the units in the Office of Research Protections (ORP) which aids investigators in designing and performing research studies so they meet current ethical standards and conform to all applicable laws and regulations. His appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2021.

ORP supports key research-related committees at the University, including the Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Conflict of Interest Committee, Radiation Safety Committee and Institutional Biosafety Committee, and also is responsible for oversight of research integrity.

“Bill brings a strong sense of practical experience in research, and a commitment to provide service to the research community,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Rob A. Rutenbar.

“I am delighted to continue to serve the University in this new role,” said Yates. He has been serving in the role on an interim basis since September 2020, when George Huber retired from the position.

Yates also is a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology in Pitt’s School of Medicine, and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Neuroscience in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. He has been awarded continuous R01 grant funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1990 to examine vestibular system influences on autonomic regulation. In addition, he is heavily engaged in teaching of undergraduate, graduate and medical students, and was awarded the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2010.

Yates joined Pitt in 1994 from The Rockefeller University in New York City. He received a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience from the University of Florida in 1986.