Executive leadership
Patricia L. Winokur, MD
Co-Director and CTSA PI
Winokur's research career has spanned basic, translational and clinical research. Most recently she has devoted her bench laboratory to understanding the molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Winokur also runs an active clinical research program that has focused on infectious diseases related translational and clinical trials.
Marlan Hansen, MD
Co-Director and CTSA PI
Marlan Hansen, MD is a Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery. He is a practicing ENT-otolaryngologist at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Hansen has been practicing medicine for more than 20 years and enjoys the balance of clinical practice and research he is able to take part in at the University of Iowa.
John Buatti, MD
Associate Director, Regulatory Knowledge and Support
Dr. Buatti has expertise in image analysis and tumor responses, leads multidisciplinary team that has moved high dose vitamin C and diet interventions from animal models to human cancer trials. He also has regulatory expertise moving clinical trials into community practice settings.
Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD
CTSA K12 Co-PI
Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD, is a pediatric neurologist, researcher, and mentor. He has trained multiple medical students, resident and fellow researchers, and graduated three PhD students. He has been the recruiter for University of Iowa's Child Health Research Career Development Award since 2011 and mentored all junior faculty K12 pediatrician-scholars. He is involved with underrepresented minority recrutiment at all levels at the University of Iowa.
Elizabeth Chrischilles, PhD
Associate Director, Data Science and Research Methods
Dr. Chrischilles has expertise in population sciences, analysis of large databases, comparative effectiveness methods, measures of prescribing practices and outcomes and clinical pharmacy and primary care-based interventions to improve guideline adherence. She directs the Iowa hub for the Greater Plains Consortium for PCORNet.
Alejandro Comellas, MD
Director, Clinical Research Support
Alejandro Comellas, MD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and a practicing pulmonologist at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Comellas specializes in critical care and pulmonology and has clinical interests in patients with asthma and COPD. His research interests include lung injury and ambient air pollution. Comellas has a long history of research and has served as the PI on numerous studies.
Heather Schacht Reisinger, PhD
Associate Director, Engagement, Integration, and Implementation
My area of expertise is conducting ethnographic research in fields known for their interdisciplinarity. After completing my doctoral training in medical anthropology, I expanded my research skills and undertook training in epidemiology and biostatistics, while remaining dedicated to promoting ethnographic research outside my home discipline.
Administration
DeAnna O’Quinn, BBA
Associate Director, Administration
Dori Hinson, BA
Administrative Assistant
Biomedical Informatics
Boyd Knosp, MS
Associate Director, Biomedical Informatics Operations
Mr. Knosp is responsible for ensuring that informatics services are robust, secure and easy to use and follow national and consortia standards creating an environment ready to share data inter-institutionally.
Heath Davis, MS
Assistant Director, Biomedical Informatics Operations
Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design
Patrick Ten Eyck, MS, PhD
Assistant Director, Biostatistics and Research Design
Patrick Ten Eyck, MS, PhD, is the ICTS Assistant Director for Biostatistics and Research Design. His research interests involve model selection, applications in biomedicine and public health, categorical data analysis, and statistical computing.Patrick is a member of the American Statistical Association and American Public Health Association.
Clinical Research Support
Alejandro Comellas, MD
Director, Clinical Research Support
Alejandro Comellas, MD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and a practicing pulmonologist at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Comellas specializes in critical care and pulmonology and has clinical interests in patients with asthma and COPD. His research interests include lung injury and ambient air pollution. Comellas has a long history of research and has served as the PI on numerous studies.
Jackline Wangui-Verry, BSN, MSN
Assistant Director, Clinical Research Unit
jackline-wangui-verry@uiowa.edu
Ms. Wangui-Verry directs the day-to-day activities of the Clinical Research Unit and the Early Phase Research Unit, in particular those related to study review, cost analyses, and quality-assurance/improvement.
Kim Sprenger, RN, BS
Assistant Director, Clinical Research Support
Ms. Sprenger has experience coordinating all phases of research from early development investigator-initiated studies to post FDA approved industry-initiated studies. Kim interacts with the CTSA leadership and participating investigators and staff and facilitates development, approval, budgeting and execution of studies. She works to identify the appropriate research teams to connect with industry sponsors.
Kristy Mahan
Administrative Services Coordinator, ICTS/Research Coordinator Core
Ms. Mahan is the first point of contact for the ICTS CRTO, supporting information, communications, operational and high-level administrative support and management activities vital to the CRTO mission, assisting to grow and foster innovation through research support.
Engagement, Integration, and Implementation
Heather Schacht Reisinger, PhD
Associate Director
My area of expertise is conducting ethnographic research in fields known for their interdisciplinarity. After completing my doctoral training in medical anthropology, I expanded my research skills and undertook training in epidemiology and biostatistics, while remaining dedicated to promoting ethnographic research outside my home discipline.
DeShauna Jones, PhD
Assistant Director
Evaluation
Patrick Barlow, PhD
Associate Director
Patrick Barlow, PhD, serves as a member of the national-level CTSA Evaluator's Group and an active participant in the development of their forthcoming Common Metrics Initiative. His experience demonstrates his ability to direct the evaluation of complex, federally-funded research centers, such as the UI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.
Maran Subramain, PhD
Assistant Director
Human Performance Laboratory
Jason Wilken, PT, PhD
Associate Director
K12 Program
Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD
CTSA K12 Co-PI
Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD, is a pediatric neurologist, researcher, and mentor. He has trained multiple medical students, resident and fellow researchers, and graduated three PhD students. He has been the recruiter for University of Iowa's Child Health Research Career Development Award since 2011 and mentored all junior faculty K12 pediatrician-scholars. He is involved with underrepresented minority recrutiment at all levels at the University of Iowa.
Jamie Thrams, MA
Assistant Director for Education
Mobile Technology Lab
Phil Polgreen, MD, MPH
Associate Director
Alberto Segre, PhD
Associate Director
Shelby Francis, PhD
Clinical Lab Supervisor
Participant Recruitment
James Torner, PhD
Associate Director, ICTS
Dr. Torner has been teaching, designing, and conducting clinical trials for four decades. He is the founding Director of the Preventive Intervention Center which has conducted population-based clinical trials and cohort studies. He is a member of the design team for NIH-NINDS support NeuroNEXT.
Kim Sprenger, RN, BS
Assistant Director, Clinical Research Support
Pilots Program
Jamie Thrams, MA
Assistant Director
Regulatory Knowledge and Support
John Buatti, MD
Associate Director
Deb O'Connell-Moore, MBA
Clinical Trials Research Specialist
debra-oconnell-moore@uiowa.edu
Ms. O’Connell-Moore is responsible for the assessment, completion, tracking, and modification of regulatory requirements and documentation for clinical research studies that utilize ICTS resources.
Workforce Development
Lori Adams, PhD
Associate Director, Mentor Training
Lori Adams, PhD, is an associate professor of instruction in biology. For the ICTS, she is the Associate Director for Mentor Training and facilitates year-round mentor training sessions for graduate students, postdocs and faculty. Lori is recognized as a National Academies Education Mentor in the Life Sciences and a NIH National Research Mentoring Network Master Facilitator of “Entering Mentoring” and “Entering Research” evidence-based research curriculum.
Donna Santillan, PhD
Associate Director, Undergraduate Program
Donna Santillan, PhD is a Molecular Biologist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with particular interests in biorepositories, maternal diseases during pregnancy, and education. She is the Director of the Women’s Health Tissue Repository. Donna Santillan is directing the Early Scholars Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science program and leading the Introduction to Translational Research course.
Greg Stewart, PhD
Associate Director, Team Science
Jamie Thrams, MA
Assistant Director for Education
Help the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Iowa continue making new strides in medical research by citing the NIH CTSA program grant UL1TR002537.