Joy Frank, Ph.D. has been a faculty member of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA since 1975. She has been involved for 30 years in basic NIH funded research on myocardial ultra-structure and the ultra-structure of early lesion formation in atherosclerosis. Dr. Frank received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and came to UCLA as a post-doctoral fellow in 1969. She received a Research Career Development award from the NIH which launched her independent research career. This was followed by 20 years of R01 support from the NIH and support as a Project leader as part of the atherosclerosis Program Project at UCLA under the direction of Alan Fogelman. Throughout her research career she has presented her work to international forums and has served on many national review committees including NIH Study Sections, NIH Cardiology advisory Committee, AHA Executive Committee-Basic Science Council and Chair of the Research Policy and Evaluation Committee National AHA. Dr. Frank also served on the Board of Directors for the national AHA.   

In 1991 she was appointed by the Dean of the medical school to the post of the Associate Dean for Research Administration and Graduate Programs. In this position she developed several programs for intramural funding of pilot projects for students and junior faculty. In 1993 to 1997 she served as Senior Associate Dean for Research for the School of Medicine. In this role she was able to secure a $3 million Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Resources Grant for Medical Schools and develop with Gerald Oppenheimer the Stein-Oppenheimer Research Grants program to fund new and innovative pilot projects from UCLA faculty. The Stein-Oppenheimer program started in 1991 continues to this day as the major source of intramural funding to develop new research projects.  

At UCLA, Dr. Frank has worked to advance research training and career development programs for fellows and junior faculty. In 2000, Dr. Frank assumed the Directorship of the Subspecialty and Advanced Research Training Program (STAR Program) for physicians-scientists. The program is unique in the nation in that is affords physicians the chance to earn a graduate research degree (Ph.D. or Master of Science in Clinical research) while completing clinical subspecialty training. To date there have been 75 graduates of the program. In 2003, Dr. Frank initiated the development of a new graduate program for the medical school, the Master of Science in Clinical Research. This UCLA degree program has awarded over 24 MS degrees to physicians, both faculty and fellows and serves as an exceptional career development opportunity for physicians interested in clinical research. 

Dr. Frank has, in her role as director of programs to foster research training, played a leadership role in mentoring women on the path to success in academics. She has served or chaired numerous Chancellor’s committees to evaluate and recommend policies to enhance the environment for women’s careers. Dr. Frank has served since 1998 on the Executive Committee of the UCLA National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health contributing to the development of grants to support projects focusing on  women’s health.

Leadership Director, UCLA National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health

 Professor of Medicine and Physiology at UCLA