Clinical Research Staff

I have served as the Head and Neck Cancer Database Manager since 2007. I meet all of the new head and neck cancer patients and obtain informed consent from them to include them in the Head and Neck Cancer Database that Dr. Harari started in 1990. I update and maintain the 3,900+ patient database. In addition, I assist faculty and residents with the regulatory requirements in the institutional review board process of human subjects research.

I started my research career more than 15 years ago, working with animals at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center as a microbiological research technician working in the BSL3 lab. I also worked in industry as well as for the UW-School of Veterinary Medicine and the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. I moved on to work with the IACUC at the Medical College of Wisconsin, which later led to working with the Human Research Protection Program. In 2011, I started working at the UWCCC in the central office and in 2014 joined the Department of Human Oncology Clinical Research Team as the regulatory specialist. I ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulations throughout the lifecycle of each clinical research project.

I started my career in clinical research in 1992 working with Dr. Paul Carbone at the UW. Over the years I have worked on different aspects of clinical trials including working with the Pharmaceutical Research Center helping ensure investigational drugs were received, stored and handled per sponsor and federal guidelines. One of the more memorable trials I was involved in was the conduction of the original herceptin trial at the UW. For that trial patients entered a national “lottery” to be selected for the innovative therapy. One of the reasons I have remained in clinical research is that I enjoy working with patients and helping them navigate through their cancer treatment.

I started my career in research while completing my undergraduate degree at UW-Madison, working with the Ophthalmology Department as a data specialist. After graduation in 2006, I joined the Department of Human Oncology as a data manager. My role was eventually expanded to include the local coordination of NCI-funded, investigator-initiated,and industry-funded clinical trials as well as quality assurance and credentialing for radiotherapy treatment machines, database management and oversight of multi-institutional investigator-initiated trials. I enjoy the opportunity to work with talented researchers and to be part of the process of bringing innovative ideas and technologies to the forefront of medicine.