Carlson, who held the interim provost position since July 2025, steps into the permanent role as the institution navigates rapid changes in biomedical discovery and artificial intelligence. His background includes leading the DeWitt C. Baldwin Institute for Interprofessional Education and spearheading the university's new Virtual Health System. This facility integrates immersive technology to simulate complex clinical scenarios, allowing students to refine their judgment and collaborative skills before interacting with actual patients.

University leadership emphasizes that the appointment aligns with a broader strategy to prepare graduates for a healthcare landscape defined by constant technological and structural evolution. Dr. Carlson holds a PhD in interprofessional healthcare studies and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Practice from the university. His career has focused on creating environments where students from diverse medical disciplines train together to solve the clinical uncertainty they will face in their professional practices.