Patrick Flume, M.D., named associate vice president for clinical research

December 2, 2021

Lori McMahon, Ph.D., vice president for Research at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Flume, M.D., as associate vice president for Clinical Research in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).

In this role, Flume will be responsible for managing all areas of clinical research, as well as clinical trials, for the academic health system. He will specifically focus his efforts on leading the strategic growth of clinical research operations and participant recruitment for clinical trials at Hollings Cancer Center, across the MUSC enterprise and at regional sites.

Flume has served MUSC and the Department of Medicine with great distinction for nearly 30 years as a clinician, researcher, educator and leader. Flume is an internationally recognized expert in the field of cystic fibrosis and leads a robust clinical research program within the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine.

Flume joined MUSC in 1993 as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and received a joint appointment in the Department of Pediatrics in 1996. Over the next two decades, he served in a variety of academic appointments and leadership roles, including interim director of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine and associate provost for Research Compliance and Regulatory Affairs. His current leadership positions include serving as the director of the MUSC Cystic Fibrosis Center and director of the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Laboratory. In addition, he is the Powers-Huggins Endowed Chair for Cystic Fibrosis. Earlier this year, he was appointed to his current position of Distinguished University Professor, the highest honorary academic rank in the College of Medicine, requiring both international prominence and sustained, meritorious service to MUSC.

Flume’s international reputation as an expert in cystic fibrosis is highlighted by his role as editor in chief of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis and service on multiple committees for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, including his current role as co-chair of the Coronavirus Medical Advisory Group. Flume has received numerous awards for his contributions to research, education and patient care, including the Best Doctors in America Award (from 2001 to 2020), the Excellence in Teaching Award from the MUSC Department of Medicine (2006) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the MUSC Department of Medicine (2020).

Flume remains actively involved in research and heads the MUSC Research Nexus. To date, he has been awarded 149 grants and has authored 130 peer-reviewed publications in prominent journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Chest, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and many others. He is currently the principal investigator on 17 active research grants.

As co-principal investigator of the South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute, Flume has worked to fast-track much-needed COVID-19 clinical trials, including trials of therapeutics and two large vaccine studies. Once activated, many of the trials have been run by the pulmonary and critical care research unit, led by Flume, and SCTR’s research coordination and management program. Flume also serves as director of the MUSC COVID-19 Biorepository, a “bank” of blood and saliva samples collected from COVID-19-positive patients for research.

Flume received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where he completed his internal medicine residency training. He completed his pulmonary and critical care fellowship training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is married and has two adult children.

In addition to Flume’s new responsibilities, he will continue in his previous roles overseeing operations of the OVPR units, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Office of Research Integrity (IRB) and Office of Clinical Research, and maintaining his activities with other key institutional offices on behalf of the OVPR.