Carter, who has led record-breaking innovation growth at UNC-Chapel Hill since 2023, will advance medical and healthcare commercialization and entrepreneurship across the UNC School of Medicine UNC Health system starting December 2025.
Dedric A. Carter, PhD, MBA, vice chancellor for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development and chief innovation officer at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been named vice president for commercialization and translational advancement at the University of North Carolina Health Care System, effective Dec. 8, 2025.
In this system-wide leadership role, Carter will accelerate the translation of medical research breakthroughs into clinical applications that improve patient care not only across UNC Health’s network of hospitals and clinics, but also throughout North Carolina and beyond. In partnership with key stakeholders, he will develop commercialization strategies for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health system, forge partnerships between researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders, advise inventors and entrepreneurs, and expand access to impactful cutting-edge solutions. This position builds directly on Carter’s proven track record of transforming research discoveries into real-world health and economic impact.
Record-Breaking Innovation Leadership
Since joining UNC-Chapel Hill in 2023, Carter has delivered transformational results for Carolina’s innovation ecosystem. Under his strategic leadership, the University achieved breakthrough growth across all key commercialization metrics:
- Invention disclosures increased 21%
- Provisional patent applications surged 29%
- Issued U.S. patents grew 30%
- IP-based startups launched jumped 33%
Under Carter’s leadership, UNC-Chapel Hill experienced growth from five companies launched annually in 2023 to 12 companies at the end of FY2023, representing 140% growth. This unprecedented growth directly contributed to nearly $8 billion in total economic activity generated by UNC-Chapel Hill-affiliated startups and commercialization activities across the state, including $4.29 billion in value contributed to North Carolina’s gross domestic product in fiscal year 2025. This success was captured in the recent FY2025 report Where Innovators Thrive.
Carter has directed Innovate Carolina and provided the strategic vision to advance and build a stronger, more cohesive innovation pipeline at the University. He led pan-University collaboration through strategic partnerships with the Carolina Angel Network, Innovation Hubs, the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, the Institute for Convergent Science, and the NC Collaboratory – focusing on translating foundational research and classroom knowledge into real-world impact through commercialization, startups, and partnerships. Additionally, he chaired the successful search for the UNC Vice Chancellor for Communications earlier this year.
National Recognition and Strategic Framework
Under Carter’s leadership, Carolina climbed 32 spots in the National Academy of Inventors Top 100 Worldwide Universities rankings—the largest single-year jump in the University’s history. Carter also established UNC-Chapel Hill’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors to support and celebrate the achievements of inventors within the University community.
Carter guided the creation of the UNC Innovation Impact Framework, a bold 10-year strategic approach designed to drive economic growth and improve lives across North Carolina and beyond. Developed in collaboration with partners across the University, this framework strengthens Carolina’s position as a national leader in innovation and innovation-based economic development, laying out a unified vision to build, support, elevate, engage, and nurture innovation that serves the public good.
A Natural Evolution
Carter’s transition to UNC Health represents a strategic evolution of his leadership, enabling him to focus specifically on medical and healthcare commercialization and entrepreneurship – areas of critical importance to North Carolina’s research economy and patient care. His proven ability to accelerate research translation, build strategic partnerships, and drive measurable economic impact positions him to transform commercialization of discoveries for benefit throughout the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Health system and beyond.