05
May
2025
|
10:46 AM
America/New_York

Research Governance Structure

Advancing Research at Carilion: Introducing the Executive Research Council and Governance Committees

Research at Carilion Clinic is growing at an unprecedented pace. In 2024 alone, over 200 Carilion physicians collaborated on more than 140 clinical trials across 20+ medical and surgical specialties, securing $2.7 million in new trial awards and $14 million in new grant funding​. With this remarkable momentum, Carilion is committed to ensuring that research continues to thrive with structure, strategy, and impact.

To guide this growth, Carilion Medical Center has launched a new Research Governance Structure centered around the Executive Research Council (ERC). The ERC will lead the strategic direction of Carilion’s research enterprise, foster innovation, and strengthen partnerships with key collaborators like Radford University, Virginia Tech (VT), the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.

Chaired by Dr. Robert Trestman, the Executive Research Sponsor, the ERC includes Dr. Michael Wilson, the Associate Institutional Research Officer, Department Chairs, Center Directors, faculty investigators, community representatives, and research leaders from our academic partners. These members include Aileen Helsel, Suzanne Kraemer, Chuck Sawyers, Steve Morgan, Kristin Meador, John Jane, Lana Wahid, Cynthia Lawrence, Michael Wilson, Donna Rhodes, Randy Heflin (VT), and Leslie LaConte (VT). Together, they will oversee research operations, align efforts across departments, and champion new opportunities for discovery and innovation.

Six Committees: Guiding Research with Focused Expertise

To support the ERC’s mission and ensure comprehensive governance, six specialized committees have been established. Each committee is tasked with a specific charge, ensuring thorough oversight and advancement of Carilion’s research enterprise:

1. Education and Faculty Development

  • Chair: Donna Rhodes, MA
  • Charge: Ensure all research-involved investigators and staff understand their roles and responsibilities and support the growth and development of investigators.
  • Focus: Training, mentorship, and professional development for research staff and faculty.

2. Innovation and Commercialization

  • Chair: Aileen Helsel, PhD
  • Charge: Coordinate intellectual innovation, leading to patents, products, and licensing ventures aligned with Carilion’s mission.
  • Focus: Intellectual property, technology transfer, and fostering partnerships for commercialization.

3. Health Systems and Implementation Research

  • Chair: John Epling, MD
  • Charge: Align and coordinate implementation science research with Carilion’s disease-specific research areas and quality, patient safety, and learning health system priorities.
  • Focus: Translating research into practice to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.

4. Operations and Finance

  • Chair: Chuck Sawyers, MBA
  • Charge: Optimize institutional infrastructure, workflows, and financial models across all research endeavors. Evaluate and manage financial agreements with external partners.
  • Focus: Resource allocation, budgeting, and operational support for research growth.

5. Data-Sharing Technology and Informatics

  • Chair: Steve Morgan, MD
  • Charge: Ensure secure, accessible, and optimized data-sharing technology to support and expand research within Carilion and with partners.
  • Focus: Information security, analytics, and technology infrastructure for research.

6. Compliance Oversight

  • Chair: Kristin Meador, MHA
  • Charge: Ensure all research complies with federal and state regulations, institutional policies, and Institutional Review Board approvals.
  • Focus: Regulatory compliance, risk management, and quality assurance.

Each committee will meet monthly and collaborate closely with the ERC, ensuring that research initiatives are strategically aligned, responsibly managed, and primed for expansion.

At Carilion, we believe research is not just about discovery—it’s about making a meaningful difference for our patients and communities. With the new Executive Research Council and committee structure in place, Carilion Clinic is poised to take research to new heights, creating a future where innovation drives better health for all.