Staff Announcements: May 2022
Angela May Baumgartner, Lead IRB Compliance Analyst, Compliance and Education Team
We are pleased to announce that Angela Baumgartner will assume the role of Lead IRB Compliance Analyst, a new position within Northwestern University's IRB Office. Angela is a summa cum laude graduate from Augustana College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Pre-Medicine. A well-regarded member of the Northwestern research community, Angela began her career as a Regulatory Coordinator at the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) in 2013. Angela joined the IRB Office as a Senior IRB Compliance Analyst in February 2019.
As Lead IRB Compliance Analyst, Angela will support the mission of Northwestern University's Human Research Protection Program by serving as a primary resource for regulatory and procedures guidance. She will analyze complex allegations of noncompliance, conduct compliance-focused for-cause audits, and assist in the onboarding and training new Compliance team staff. Angela is the recipient of multiple OR STAR and NU Service Excellence Awards, which reflect the many contributions she has made to the IRB Office and beyond.
Please join us in congratulating Angela!
Katie Wright, IRB Analyst, Social and Behavioral
We are pleased to welcome Katie Wright to the IRB Office as an IRB Analyst. Katie obtained their Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) from University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and also holds Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Kalamazoo College. Katie joins us from the Howard Brown Health where they have been the Social and Behavioral Research Coordinator and Research Assistant for over 2 years. Howard Brown is a long-time collaborator with Northwestern.
Katie’s insight and experience will provide an invaluable resource to the IRB Office and research community. As a member of the Social and Behavioral IRB Office Team, Katie will serve a key role in the NU HRPP by conducting IRB reviews and providing education to the research community and IRB members.
We are very excited to have Katie join the IRB Office, please join us in welcoming Katie!
Candy Melara, IRB Analyst, Biomedical
We are pleased to announce that Candy Melara will assume the role of IRB Analyst.
Candy graduated summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. She has previously worked in the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Office at Northwestern, where she supported the occupational health and safety program for new investigators, as well as oversaw the onboarding of new committee members.
Candy joined the IRB office in October 2020. As an Associate IRB Analyst, Candy has been the first point of contact for the research community and has outstandingly managed our main office phone line and email with great empathy and professionalism. She has conducted reviews of minor modifications and supported panel meetings when needed. Candy is committed to the Northwestern IRB and can always be counted on. She embodies the OR values with her colleagues and with the research community at large.
In this new role Candy will continue to support the mission of Northwestern’s HRPP and IRB, to safeguard the rights and welfare of human participants involved in research.
Please join us in congratulating Candy!