The UNC School of Medicine welcomes Heather Skinner, JD, to UNC as Director of Research Integrity and Compliance.
Heather Skinner, JD, fills the new position of Director of Research Integrity and Compliance at the School of Medicine within its Office of Research. In this position, Skinner will serve as a valuable resource for SOM faculty, staff, and students who oversee research integrity and compliance by formulating, interpreting, and implementing related policies, including those surrounding new regulations. federal science and security-related. Skinner also serves as the SOM liaison with campus-wide units, including the UNC Research Compliance Program and the UNC Health Research Support and Compliance Office. She will also develop guidance, information, and education for SOM researchers, students, staff, and administrators on regulatory requirements related to research integrity and responsible conduct of research.
“Hiring a Director of Research Integrity and Compliance within the School of Medicine will greatly help our community navigate important research policies,” says Blossom Damania, PhD, Associate Dean looking. “Heather has the expertise to put in place the best policies for our faculty and staff, and we are very fortunate to have her on board.”
Skinner joins UNC from Drexel University where she was director of compliance and research integrity. There she was responsible for a number of programs and provided strategic advice and guidance to faculty, staff and administration on research integrity. Not only did Skinner oversee important areas such as the export control program and the financial conflict of interest program, but she identified areas needing improvement, created new committees, and developed responsible conduct training at research for teachers. Skinner has extensive experience in administrative leadership, as prior to Drexel, she was Associate Director of Research Compliance and Chief Export Compliance Officer at Boston University and Boston Medical Center. She holds a JD in Constitutional Law and Civil Rights from Western Michigan University and received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University.
“My job is not to impede research or innovation, but rather to empower the SOM community with the tools to promote trustworthy and ethical teaching, research, patient care, and public service missions” , says Skinner. “I look forward to working with SOM and hope to make research compliance and integrity an easy and transparent part of the exceptional research performed by the unit.”
Keep an eye out for quarterly compliance updates in Vital Signs titled Science Compliance: Updates for the School of Medicine. In its updates, Skinner will provide policy updates to the School of Medicine and provide answers to questions submitted by the community.
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