On July 1, Ming Lei, senior associate vice president in the WVU Health Sciences Center Office of Research and Graduate Education and vice dean of research in the WVU School of Medicine, will assume the role of interim vice president at the WVU Research Office.
Lei will continue his role as Health Sciences senior associate vice president for research and graduate education during this interim appointment.
Fred King, current WVU vice president for research, will step down.
“WVU belongs to the highest tier of research universities in the United States, R1, owing in no small part to Dr. King’s dedicated service and contributions. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with our faculty, students and staff to continue advancing high-impact research and the mission of the University,” Lei said.
A seasoned scientist, Lei earned his doctoral degree from Cornell University. He has taught genetics and microbiology and studied DNA replication as an R01-funded investigator, in addition to his years of experience overseeing federal programs that build research capacity at academic and research institutions.
At the National Science Foundation, he managed research grant portfolios in genetics, genomics and molecular biology. At the National Cancer Institute, he oversaw training and education programs that supported graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows and early-stage faculty members. In 2023, a national search brought Lei to WVU from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, where he directed programs that supported more than 10,000 investigators and students.
At WVU Health Sciences, Lei has worked to nurture research and develop innovative training programs that further the University’s ability to deliver on its land-grant mission of improving the lives of all West Virginians.
Lei will lead Research Office units that oversee conflicts of interest, animal welfare, human research protections, innovation and commercialization, and the Office of Sponsored Programs and Responsible Conduct of Research, among other areas.