Overview
As Director, Chris Lindsell, PhD leads the visionary strategic planning, development, and execution of state-of-the-art research for DCRI to achieve its scientific goals. He also serves as a member of the Senior Management Team and, along with Dr. Laine Thomas, will partner with Jack Shostak, Director of Statistical Operations, to execute research.
Lindsell has served as the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Methods program Director, co-Director of the Center for Health Data Science, and professor of biostatistics and biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University. He is a leader in the application of rigorous methods in the acute care environment, and to the intersection between emergency care and public health. He has led data coordinating centers for numerous multi-center clinical trials, including FDA-regulated trials, and epidemiological studies. His experience spans mechanistic studies, network trials, pragmatic trials, embedded trials, and more.
Lindsell holds patents for using clinical information, biomarkers and transcriptomics for prognosis and prediction in sepsis and septic shock with a goal of precision therapy in critical illness. He has contributed to data standards for CONNECTS, NHLBI’s network of networks for COVID-19 research, and to the DAQCORD guidelines for data collection and curation in observational studies. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers, and most recently, he has been leading multiple major data center efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic including TREAT NOW, ACTIV6 and the IVY Network.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Plasma chondroitin sulfate predicts the effectiveness of fluid resuscitation strategies in patients with sepsis.
Journal Article J Clin Invest · April 1, 2026 BACKGROUNDPlasma heparan sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan released during endothelial glycocalyx degradation, predicts sepsis mortality. Chondroitin sulfate is a circulating glycosaminoglycan not specific to glycocalyx degradation; its relevance to sepsis is u ... Full text Link to item CiteThe Effect of Fluvoxamine and Metformin for Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID : An Adaptive Randomized Trial.
Journal Article Ann Intern Med · March 31, 2026 BACKGROUND: Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or long COVID, presents a major therapeutic challenge, with fatigue being a prevalent and debilitating symptom. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of fluvoxamine and metformin for long COVID fatigue. DESIGN: Ran ... Full text Link to item CiteNeither Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Presence Nor Fibrosis Severity, By FIB4, Predicts Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.
Journal Article J Clin Gastroenterol · January 6, 2026 BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Data are limited with regard to whether this association is solely related to MASLD versus comorbid metabolic conditions. This ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
1/3 CTSA UM1 at Duke University
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2032Liposomal Amphotericin B and Flucytosine Antifungal Strategies for Talaromycosis (LAmB-FAST) - R01
ResearchAdvisor · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2024 - 2031Combating Related Epidemics in HCV through Simplified Testing and Treatment (CREST). A cluster randomized trial of point-of-care hepatitis C testing and treatment among key populations
ResearchStatistical Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030View All Grants