Alexander S Parker, PhD

Alexander Parker, PhD, MS , is the senior associate dean for research at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, where he leads the strategic growth and transformation of the research enterprise across clinical, population and community-engaged domains. He oversees the Office of Research Affairs and is responsible for expanding federally funded research, strengthening industry partnerships and building a scalable research platform that extends beyond traditional academic health system boundaries.

Dr. Parker spent 18 years at Mayo Clinic, where he held multiple leadership roles and helped found and scale major programs within the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and the Center for Individualized Medicine. His work contributed to nationally recognized efforts in cancer epidemiology, genomics, precision medicine, alongside institutional strategy, faculty development, and large-scale programmatic fundraising.

As an independent investigator, Parker has led and contributed to numerous federally funded studies focused on cancer risk, outcomes, health disparities and precision population health. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on National Institutes of Health, or NIH, R-level grants, training grants and multi-institutional collaborations. Early in his career, he was supported as an NIH R25 trainee, an experience that helped shape his commitment to research training and workforce development.

At UF, Parker is advancing decentralized, community-embedded research models designed to increase participation, relevance and impact. Throughout his career, he has been committed to building research ecosystems that are scientifically rigorous, financially sustainable and responsive to patient and community needs.