We are excited to announce that Joanne Billings, MD, MPH, will join the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) leadership team as associate vice president for research integrity and compliance. Billings will begin the new role on January 16.
As AVP, Billings will oversee critical research integrity and regulatory functions of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and the Office of Biotechnology Activities Oversight (OBAO). This position also serves as the University’s research integrity officer and deputy institutional official and has responsibility for ensuring that the institution fosters a research environment that promotes a culture of compliance, the responsible conduct of research, research integrity, and actively discourages research misconduct. In this capacity she will also oversee the Research Compliance, Integrity, and Security office (formerly RIACT) which manages University processes and education designed to facilitate the conduct of research in accordance with the highest ethical and regulatory standards. In addition to her role serving the internal research community, Billings will work closely with external regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations to facilitate required and voluntary reviews of UMN research policies and processes.
Billings will hold a joint appointment between RIO and the Medical School where she serves as associate professor of medicine and as a pulmonologist and critical care physician focusing on the care of people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Billings, who also oversees the Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine (PACCS) Division clinical research program, has been involved in clinical trials in CF for over 20 years. Billings holds a BS in biochemistry from Illinois Benedictine College, an MD from Rush Medical College, and a MPH in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota. Due to her new position in RIO, she will be stepping down from her role as lead chair of the University’s IRB.
“We are highly excited to welcome Joanne to our RIO leadership team,“ said Vice President for Research and Innovation Shashank Priya. “She brings almost singular experience to this position as a highly respected physician and clinical researcher who has also served the University as a member of the IRB for a decade-and-a-half, including serving as IRB lead chair since 2016. That combination of experience from both the researcher’s side and the research compliance side positions her strongly to lead this important role. She will be a tremendous representative for our institution in promoting research integrity and compliance.”
Our thanks go to AVP Rick Huebsch for serving as the chair of the search committee and all the members of the committee for their dedicated service.