Peter Mohler named Ohio State’s executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge

A committee of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees voted to appoint Peter Mohler to executive vice president of research, innovation and knowledge. Mohler has been serving as the interim executive vice president since March.

The Board of Trustees Talent, Compensation & Governance Committee approved the change at their meeting Wednesday morning. The full Board of Trustees will consider the decision on Thursday.

Under Mohler’s leadership, annual research and development expenditures at Ohio State increased by double digits in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and set a new university record. Ohio State reported over $1.3 billion in expenditures for FY22. This is a double-digit increase over FY21 expenditures, a then-record $1.236 billion.

“We are confident that Dr. Mohler will continue to help position Ohio State among the very best and most impactful research universities nationwide, and I know he looks forward to continuing to work with faculty, students and staff to ensure research, innovation and creative expression continue to flourish at Ohio State,” said Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the Board of Trustees.

As the executive vice president of Ohio State’s Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK), Mohler plays a leading role in expanding the university’s cutting-edge research, creative expression and scholarship, stimulating entrepreneurship, and building strategic partnerships. He oversees offices that grow research, advance commercialization and identify emerging opportunities and new talent.

“I’m humbled to continue to work with the university’s research and innovation community. Ohio State has an incredible team of researchers, entrepreneurs and support staff who work tirelessly to drive innovation, creativity and knowledge,” Mohler said. “In partnership with our faculty, students and staff, I look forward to working with our community partners and using the power of research and innovation to create impact within Ohio, nationally and at the global level.” 

Some research and innovation highlights this year include: 

• A $22 million National Institute of Health award to accelerate gene editing research at Ohio State in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley. The funding will allow Ohio State researchers to develop new approaches to treat multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s Disease and ALS, with new gene editing therapies.
• The opening of the temporary home of the George Washington Carver Science Park’s Starlab terrestrial analog facility in March.
• U.S. Department of Transportation selected Ohio State to address cybersecurity risks in various modes of transportation. Over the next five years, $15 million in federal funding and other funding sources will establish a Tier 1 University Transportation Center to study how to make highly automated transportation systems resilient to deliberate attacks against their sensors, communications devices and controls.

Recently, Mohler opened the university’s new Pelotonia Research Center. The 305,000-square-foot laboratory building is equipped with new spaces, technologies and resources needed for researchers to work across disciplines to accelerate new discoveries. The Energy Advancement and Innovation Center is anticipated to open in November.

Mohler has been at Ohio State since 2011. He joined the university as director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and then served as chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology in the College of Medicine. Mohler also has served as vice dean of research in the College of Medicine. He continues to serve as the chief scientific officer of the Wexner Medical Center.

Mohler received a bachelor’s in biology from Wake Forest University and his doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He performed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Duke University Medical Center.