Patrick Limbach Named UC Vice President for Research

Patrick Limbach, PhD, has been named vice president for research at the University of Cincinnati. The appointment by President Santa Ono is effective Feb. 15 and is pending approval by the UC Board of Trustees.

An Ohio Eminent Scholar and professor of chemistry in UC's McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, Limbach is a bioanalytical chemist with research interests in mass spectrometry, modified ribonucleic acids, ribonucleoprotein complexes and protein translation. He served as chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2005 to 2010 and also served in 2013 as interim associate dean for research and graduate affairs in the college.

As vice president for research, Limbach will lead the university’s research and discovery initiatives, which include more than $396.8 million in funding for FY2015. He will partner with key stakeholders for all of UC's diverse research and scholarship efforts in addition to managing the Office of Research.

"I am thrilled that Professor Limbach has agreed to serve as vice president for research. He is the perfect combination of esteemed scholar, team player and institution-builder that we need to strengthen our position as a research-intensive university," Ono said.

 Limbach will implement a comprehensive, university-wide strategic plan for research that reflects and advances UC's Creating Our Third Century plan. Additionally he will formulate, identify, develop and nurture innovative, collaborative and strategic research initiatives across UC's campuses. Limbach will lead all campus activities related to technology transfer and commercialization, promote inter- and multi-disciplinary research, develop strategies to ensure a necessary research infrastructure is available  and advocate for resources to advance the university’s research opportunities.

Limbach received his doctorate from Ohio State University in 1992. He then took a postdoctoral position at the University of Utah and in 1995 joined the faculty at Louisiana State University. He joined the UC faculty in 2001. Limbach is an active member of the American Chemical Society, American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Sigma Xi and a lifetime member of Phi Kappa Phi. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for RiboNova, Inc.

His numerous honors include the Hans H. Jaffe Faculty Award in 2015 and he was named the 2009 Cincinnati Chemist of the Year by the American Chemical Society. Limbach was selected as an Ohio Eminent Scholar in 2003 and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2013.

Limbach succeeds William Ball, MD, who has served as vice president for research since July 2011, initially as interim and then on a permanent basis. Ball became UC's senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine in November 2014 and has held all three positions since. He will now concentrate his efforts as senior vice president and dean.