New Name, New Leadership, and a Whole New Program

     We are excited to announce that we are undergoing significant office changes to make our resources more accessible and to provide the highest quality services to the HSPH research community.  You will notice that we have changed our name from "Human Subjects Administration" (HSA) to "Office of Human Reserach Administration" (OHRA).  In addition, the "Human Subjects Committee" (HSC) is now the "Institutional Review Board" (IRB).

     With these name changes, we also welcome a new Director, Delia Wolf, MD, JD, and a new Associate Director, Julie Kaberry, MHP.  In our continued efforts toward efficiency and greater quality of IRB review, we have reorganized our office and streamlined our review process, which will lead to a more timely turn around of IRB submissions.  This reorganization includes new submission forms, revised policies and procedures, and a user friendly website.

     To better assist investigators and their research teams, we have also established a Quality Improvement Program (QIP), which offers on-going education and support through a range of customized services.  This new program is led by Leslie Howes, MPH.

New Services

Consent Form Editing

     To better assist investigators and their research teams in drafting/writing consent forms, our Consent Editor is available to ensure that the materials are both appropriate for the proposed research activities and compliant with regulatory requirements.

Department Assignments

     We have designated a Protocol Administrator and a Review Specialist to each department in an effort to facilitate the IRB review and approval process.  All exemption requests will now be conducted by one designated Review Specialist.  Click here to find your department contact.

Quality Improvement Program (QIP)

     Our new Quality Improvement Program (QIP) is dedicated to the support and ongoing education of the HSPH research community.  Through a range of services, QIP will provide focused education and onsite reviews to investigators and their research teams; serve as a liaison between investigators and the IRB to ensure effective communication; and offer the tools and guidance needed to meet regulatory and insitutional requirements.  Read more.

Announcements

New Director of Human Research Administration Builds Bridges Between Researchers and IRB  

Harvard Public Health NOW Article, October 24, 2008

Delia Wolf, MD, JD, is uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between researchers and Institutional Review Boards (IRB), which ensure regulatory compliance for studies that involve human subjects. Read more.

An Announcement from Dean Lichten

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Delia Wolf, MD, JD has joined Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) as the Director of the Office of Human Research Administration (formerly Human Subjects Administration).  In this role, Delia is responsible for the HSPH human research protection program.  Read more.

This page is maintained by the Office of Human Research Administration.  To contact us with suggestions, comments, and questions, please e-mail Alyssa Speier or call 617-384-8546.