Introducing our new IRB generalists
Please join the VCU HRPP in welcoming our new IRB generalists! Torran Claiborne, Thomas Hartka, and Lillian O’Sullivan will join the VCU HRPP on Monday, June 30, 2025.
IRB Generalists are trained to handle all aspects of the HRPP IRB operations. We are so happy to have them as part of our growing team!
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Torran Claiborne
Torran Claiborne has over 15 years of experience in research across various therapeutic areas, including Mental Health, Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Cardiovascular.
Torran’s prior experience includes roles at the Department of Veteran Affairs in Baltimore, Maryland, the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins University, working in various capacities from recruitment to data collection and managing regulatory submissions. His most recent position has been working as a research coordinator at the Richmond VA Medical Center.
Torran is from Baltimore, MD and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Psychology from Coppin State University.
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Thomas Hartka
Thomas graduated from JMU in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During that time, he worked on various research teams within the realms of education and social psychology. After graduating, Thomas worked with the Motivation Research Institute, a small research team, conducting k-12 motivation research in Harrisonburg City Public Schools. While working there, he completed a Master’s of Arts degree in Applied Psychological Sciences.
Following his master’s studies, Thomas worked for 5 years at Westat, Inc. as a data manager on federal health studies, including studies for the CDC and NHLBI. Thomas will begin working with VCU’s HRPP in June 2025, and looks forward to connecting to the VCU culture.
When Thomas is not working, he enjoys the outdoors with his wife and two children, or staying home and playing board games.
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Lillian O’Sullivan
Originally from Richmond, Lillian attended George Mason University for both her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
Lillian specialized in both applied and academic research that supports organizations and their employees, with a focus on employee identification and well-being. She looks forward to using her experiences as a researcher to support high-quality, ethical research at VCU.
Lillian has been back in Richmond for about a year now, and is excited to begin her new role as an IRB Generalist!
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The VCU HRPP extends our warmest greetings to our new generalists!