Pronouns:

she / hers / her

Educational History:

B.S. from Iowa State University at Ames Iowa; MSHS in Clinical Research Administration from the George Washington University; Ph.D. in Translational Health Sciences from GWU

Fields of Expertise:

My areas of expertise focus on clinical trials design (principally first-in-human, adaptive, and pragmatic designs), U.S. clinical trials regulations (drug, device, common rule, HIPAA, and part 11), and patient focused drug/device development.

Personal Highlights:

My personal highlights – in no specific order: – Nancy Drew HER-interactive gaming addict – Ability to find chocolate no matter where I am – Cookie aficionado – Inability to contain my eye rolls during trying meetings and conversations My favorite memory was when I was waiting to present at a large national meeting on investigator-sponsored investigational new drug applications only to have the moderator gleefully pick out several well-known FDA and NIH officials in the audience. He then slapped me on the back and said, “Go get ’em tiger!”

Professional Highlights:

I have worked in clinical research for over 20 years, focusing on trial design and streamlining investigator / academic research. I’ve been privileged to develop several first in human clinical trials, including a trial combining two radionuclides to address tumor heterogeneity (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8882893/), a phase 1 study evaluating high dose ascorbate for glioblastoma (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6858950/), and even evaluating the safety and tolerance of a dietary change for patients undergoing cancer therapy (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8440425/). I also serve as the Radiation Oncology pediatric oncology research specialist for the COG group. All of this work has culminated to my position as an Assistant Director for the nationally funded Ascorbate Clinical Trials Core as well as a few speaking engagements here and there. My primary academic affiliation is University of Iowa and I also serve as an adjunct professor at GWU as well.

Recommended Link(s):

Why I do what I do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMgqq2J35vo A little history lesson about the “Iowa Nice” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73vsqcpkFes And a little humor for you when you need a laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YFRUSTiFUs

Research:

My research is very simple: we have to put the patient’s voice back in oncology. In oncology, it often seems like there is an unwritten agreement: we will put the patients through a torturous experience so that they may have an extended lifespan. Therapies are getting more and more aggressive with smaller increases in survival. Side effects of therapy are evaluated by physicians – we know from research these are often markedly different from what the patient states they are experiencing. My research goal is to incorporate the patient’s experience into clinical research so that informed consent about treatment is informed. My current research focuses on aligning what symptoms are concerning to patients during treatment to what the radiation oncologists are hearing. My long-term career goal is to support a new drug development – or an amended indication – simply based on positively impacting the patient’s quality of life, functional status during treatment, or decreasing treatment burden..

Quote:

If you can be anything, simply be kind.