HRPP – New Team Members
Please join us in welcoming our three new team members to the HRPP! We feel very fortunate to have recruited such wonderful talent and are delighted to have them join our VCU community. They all started together on May 4th — a great day for our program.
Our two new IRB Generalists will be trained to handle all aspects of IRB operations within the HRPP. Our new Quality Control Analyst will additionally support our communication and education initiatives. We are so pleased to have all three as part of our growing team!
Brittany Acors, PhD, MPH our new HRPP Quality Control Analyst
For the last two years, Dr. Brittany Acors has been a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. She received her PhD in Religious Studies (American Religious History) from the University of Virginia, where she also earned a Master of Public Health. Her research interests revolve around how cultural factors influence health decision-making processes for people in the United States. Her dissertation explored American religious responses to the twentieth-century polio epidemics and vaccines as narrated by survivors in their memoirs. While at NIH, she has worked on topics related to the inclusion of people with disabilities and religious minorities in clinical research, the history of patient advocacy and of bioethics departments, informed consent during pregnancy and labor, and other ethical and public health issues related to religion and disability. She is very excited to join the HRPP team at VCU!
Sofia Fasciolo, BS, our new IRB Generalist
Hi everyone! My name is Sofia, and I’m very excited to join the team! I’m a VCU alum who has worked primarily in research over the last 4 years, currently as a Senior Clinical Research Assistant with Dr. James Bjork’s ABCD study. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, getting a good cup of coffee, and spending time with my partner and our dog. Can’t wait to meet you all!
Danna Jaber, MS Ed, our new IRB Generalist
I’m Danna, a Richmond, VA native and recent graduate of UVA, where I earned my Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. I have three years of research experience, including work in child development and education labs, and I’m passionate about contributing to the field of research. Outside of work, I enjoy creative hobbies such as making art, singing, and learning how to write and create music. I am grateful to be a part of the team as a new IRB Generalist and look forward to connecting with everyone