I am a trained molecular geneticist, having earned my PhD from Northwestern University and completed postdoctoral training at a small biotech start-up company in Birmingham. In 2004, I joined UAB as a program manager, a position in which I gained administrative responsibility of a large set of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and training grants. I continue to have direct responsibility for ensuring the regulatory excellence (e.g., IRB, IACUC, OH&S, COI) of programs like these, and based on this experience, I am now an active member of several institutional committees guiding the human subjects, sponsored programs, innovation, scientific review and clinical trial activities of the enterprise. As the Senior Administrative Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS; UAB Hub), I am a member of the Office of the Director, joining the leadership team in overseeing the strategic vector of the Center in addition to managing day-to- day operations. With the Director, I am responsible for all Center reporting and serve as the liaison to other CTSA institutions and CTSA national committees. I also have the privilege to remain connected to my research roots. As an Assistant Professor of Medicine, I have participated in several national and international consortia to advance the understanding of genetic predisposition to disease and disease outcome, with an emphasis on systemic lupus. In parallel to this work, I am interested in investigating the methodologic approaches and opportunities for process optimization for enhanced scientific peer review, self-directed learning, translational thinking and tactics for collaborative innovation.
