About
Rigorously Pursuing Excellence
Meharry Medical College’s Research and Innovation Enterprise
The mission of Meharry’s Office for Research and Innovation (OfRI) is to empower all Meharry investigators in their efforts to conduct micro and macro scales of inquiry on the continuum of basic to clinical sciences as well as policy matters. The OfRI provides strategic direction by identifying the priority areas of emerging research as well as fostering transformative academic entrepreneurship, collaborative research, and innovation. Our mission aligns with Meharry’s vision as a global academic health sciences center that advances health equity through innovative research and evidence-based leadership.
Leadership
Anil Shanker, Ph.D., is the senior vice president for research and innovation at Meharry Medical College and a tenured professor of biochemistry, cancer biology, neuroscience, and pharmacology. He serves as the institutional signing official and the executive liaison to the Meharry Medical College Board of Trustees for matters related to research and innovation. A distinguished scientist and educator, Dr. Shanker pioneered research on thymic development of self-tumor antigen-reactive T cells and established the role of CD8 T lymphocytes in enhancing natural killer cell functions within solid tumors.
Message from Senior Vice President Anil Shanker, Ph.D.
Step into Meharry’s bold new era of research and innovation, where precision medicine, data science, and transdisciplinary collaboration are transforming the future of healthcare. In this message, Dr. Anil Shanker reflects on Meharry’s legacy of discovery and outlines the path forward under the Meharry 2026 Sesquicentennial Strategic Plan. Explore how Meharrians are uniting passion, expertise, and creativity to advance health equity in the 21st century.
Our Legacy of Discovery
Discover how Meharry Medical College’s nearly 150-year legacy of research has shaped medicine, advanced health equity, and inspired generations of scientists dedicated to serving the underserved. From pioneering genetics programs in the 1970s to today’s innovations in data science and precision medicine, Meharry has remained at the forefront of discovery. Read Senior Vice President Anil Shanker’s essay to explore the evolution of Meharry’s research enterprise and its bold vision for the future.
Research Advisory Council
Meharry’s Research Advisory Council was convened in September 2019 to assist the President of the College during an extended vacancy in the VPRI position. It produced a set of recommendations to implement the Sesquicentennial Strategic Plan: align all research conceptually, integrate research needs with central College administrative divisions, define a VPRI candidate profile meeting the 21st century needs of the College, and draft a charter to make the RAC a permanent body charged with developing research-related policies.
Organizational Chart
The Research and Innovation Organizational Chart displays the staff in all offices in the division.
Contact Us
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