UCLA CTSI's Antonia Petruse named Executive Director of UC BRAID

Antonia Petruse, Director of Embedded Clinical Research and Innovation (ECRI) within the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), has been named Executive Director of University of California Biomedical Research Acceleration, Integration, & Development (UC BRAID). Over the past decade, she has led the development and growth of ECRI, establishing a centralized clinical research and innovation unit that supports investigators and research teams through recruitment infrastructure, digital health integration, participant engagement, operational design, and strategic implementation. Her leadership has helped advance a wide range of initiatives spanning precision medicine, research recruitment, community engagement, and clinical research operations.

Throughout her career at UCLA, Petruse has contributed to numerous large-scale research and innovation initiatives, including the WISDOM Study, UCLA's Depression Grand Challenge, and UCLA's Universal Consent program. Her work has focused on building scalable research infrastructure and developing innovative approaches to research recruitment and participant engagement.

"What I'm most looking forward to in this role is the opportunity to bring people and ideas together across the UC system, learning from the unique strengths of each campus, identifying shared challenges, and turning successful innovations into solutions that can have a broader impact," said Petruse. "My experience at UCLA CTSI has prepared me well for this opportunity by giving me the chance to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives that bridge research, clinical operations, technology, and patient engagement."

As Executive Director, Petruse will work closely with partners across the University of California system to strengthen collaborative research infrastructure, support multi-campus initiatives, and advance solutions that enhance the impact and efficiency of clinical and translational research. "I'm excited to bring that collaborative and solutions-focused approach to UC BRAID while continuing to learn from the incredible expertise across all of our UC institutions," she said.

Read the full article on Antonia's new appointment on the UC BRAID website.

Photo source: UCLA Health