VP for Research, Innovation and Healthcare Strategy steps down, University Hospitals doctor to lead pandemic response

Dr. Forrest Faison joined Cleveland State University in January of 2020.

Dr. Forrest Faison will be leaving Cleveland State University in October.

Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Health Care Strategy, Dr. Forrest Faison, will leave his position in October, CSU President Harlan Sands shared an email sent earlier today.

Dr. Faison, former Surgeon General of the United States Navy and pediatrician, joined CSU in January of 2020. He was tasked with “oversee[ing] the broad effort to unify and expand CSU’s educational, outreach and scholarship efforts in all aspects of health care, while spurring the continued growth of Cleveland as a center for medical innovation,” according to a CSU press release.

Dr. Faison was also responsible for CSU’s pandemic response efforts. University Hospitals’ Dr. Sean Cannone will assume these duties as lead policy advisor. Dr. Cannone previously served as site medical director for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wolstein Center.

An Interim Vice President for Research has not yet been decided, with an internal search led by Provost Bloomberg to begin today. Self and peer nominations were encouraged. A national search will launch “within the next year.”