R&D August Newsletter

Colleagues,

As we embark on the Fall season, I would like to announce that Dr. Robert Trestman is the new Authorized Institutional Official for Research (Carilion Clinic). In this role he has the authority to speak for and legally commit the institution to compliance with the requirements of the federal regulations regarding the involvement of human subjects in research. This role was held previously by Dr. Daniel Harrington. The Department of Research and Development would like to thank Dr. Harrington for his strong leadership and dedication to research endeavors.

Over the past few years, our research operations have increased significantly in size and scope. In addition, we have developed strategic collaborations with our iTHRIV partners. In that regard, eight applications were submitted to the iTHRIV Pilot Translational and Clinical Studies Program.  One area that will be a focus this year is increased collaboration and alignment with Virginia Tech researchers. Over the next few months, we will explore areas for improvement. Please feel free to submit any ideas to research@carilionclinic.org.

Regards,

Francis X. Farrell, PhD

Senior Director, Research and Development

Carilion Clinic TriNetX Virtual Training Schedule

Carilion offers instructor led, focused training for an in-depth, step-by-step learning experience building patient cohorts and delving into Analytics. The facilitator will be Dee Myers. Please contact HART@carilionclinic.org with the subject of 'TriNetX Training' for training outside of the scheduled sessions. If you haven’t taken a class or need a refresher, this is your opportunity to do so.  Let Dee Myers know which date you prefer and she will send a meeting invitation.

• Sept 8 from 1:30 – 3:30pm
• Sept 21 from 9:30 – 11:30am
• Oct 12 from 9:30 – 11:30am
• Oct 27 from 1:30 – 3:30pm
• Nov 17 from 1:30 – 3:30pm
• Dec 14 from 9:30 – 11:30am

New Employees
 

Shelby Hamm, PhD - Clinical Research Coordinator II – Research & Development 

Shelby recently joined our team as a Research and Development Clinical Research Coordinator who will primarily support sponsored clinical trials in the rheumatology therapeutic area. Shelby earned both a bachelors and doctorate degree in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech, focusing on Molecular and Cellular Science. She has experience as a research assistant in a basic science lab and as a teaching assistant for a course focused on methods for clinical evaluation of human health.

Britttny O'Toole, MS - Clinical Research Coordinator II - Cardiology

Please join us in welcoming Brittny O’Toole, our newest CRC team member.  She will be supporting our growing Cardiology research team. Brittny has her Master’s in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States, and brings with her an array of healthcare experiences as a scribe and nutrition coach.   Her leadership abilities and entrepreneurial spirit will be a value add to our team, and we look forward to working with her to grow and support Cardiology research.

Ahmed Al Qaffas, MS “E.” - Data Science Engineer Biostatistician - HART

E is a recent hire to the Health Analytics Research Team. He holds a Master's in Bioinformatics from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. His recent studies and work have focused on virology at the genomics level. 

Yili Zhong, PhD - Clinical Research Coordinator II – Aortic Center

Yili is a new Clinical Research Coordinator supporting clinical trials in the Aortic Center. She most recently earned a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Washington State University and has worked as a postdoctoral teaching fellow and postdoctoral scientist since then. While her experience has focused on basic science research, Yili had the opportunity to design and coordinate a clinical trial during her time as a PhD student.