Expert Details
Cardiac Nursing, Hospital Nursing (Adult), Clinic & Outpatient Nursing
ID: 731200
Illinois, USA
Expert is a long-time volunteer for the American Heart Association, focused on innovation and technology acceleration. She is the past President of the Chicago Board and current member of the Midwest Regional Board and Illinois Advocacy Committee. She was honored with the National AHA Healthcare Volunteer of the Year Award.
Expert graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in English and Political Science and an MSN, ultimately certified as an acute care nurse practitioner. Her clinical experience includes acute cardiac care, heart failure, interventional and preventive cardiology. Additionally, she has been the director of two health-focused research foundations.
Furthermore, she earned a PhD in 2011 from Loyola University Chicago, School of Nursing. Her dissertation project was a community assessment of cardiovascular health and risk in people of Mexican descent in Berwyn, Illinois. She was awarded a year long fellowship for the Albert Schweitzer Fellows Program and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Graduation Award for demonstrating a strong commitment to the prevention of CVD through excellence in nursing research.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2011 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Nursing | Institution: Loyola University Chicago |
| Year: 1991 | Degree: MSN | Subject: Adult Acute Critical Care Nursing | Institution: Vanderbilt University, School of Nursing |
| Year: 1986 | Degree: BA | Subject: English/Political Science | Institution: Vanderbilt University |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2023 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Director of Clinical Operations | Department: |
Responsibilities:Digital health company building a digital biomarker platform leveraging novel, multi-sensor devices and proprietary algorithms to detect early signs of heart failure and guide personalized therapy.Write and lead initial algorithm testing and validation research study. Recruit and initiate clinical sites that enrolls study participants. Develop relationships with KOLs in cardiovascular disease (heart failure) allowing the transition to strategic role in business development and strategy. Create evidence generation plan for company in support of “proof point” execution and support of future funding rounds. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2022 | Employer: physIQ | Title: VP, Clinical Operations | Department: |
Responsibilities:Digital health company delivering personalized health event prediction through FDA-cleared applied machine learning algorithms derived from wearable biosensors during continuous remote monitoring.Ensured the adoption and effective implementation of solutions by healthcare customers. Built relationships with clinical partners/key opinion leaders/customers to demonstrate clinical and economic efficacy of the solution. Supported sales through strategy development, commercial execution support, product development insights, customer relationship development and maintenance. Drove domestic and international regulatory compliance, including alignment with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. Contributed to ongoing FDA approval projects. • Co-developed product pipeline, business plan and value proposition to drive adoption in the market. • Led complex implementation of the digital health solution in healthcare settings including academic medical centers, community health systems and Veterans Health Administration Hospitals including assessment of readiness, project management and metrics for evaluation of value. • Led research studies (principal investigator and project management roles) by writing research protocols, securing clinical trial partners, liaising with internal product development teams, and conducting the study reporting outcomes and publishing results. • Forged and nurtured long-standing relationships within complex networks of healthcare systems, (e.g. NorthShore University Health System (now Endeavor), University of Illinois Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois) to execute successful pilots and conversion into customers. • Earned $6.4 million contract with National Institutes of Health. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2012 to 2019 | Employer: DePaul University | Title: Assistant Professor | Department: School of Nursing |
Responsibilities:Mentor, researcher, clinical innovator, professor, and global health advocate. Collaborated with local and international CBOs for public health initiatives. Courses taught included Health Promotion Through the Lifespan, establishing strong foundations in public-, community-, and global-health. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2015 to 2017 | Employer: Endotronics, Inc. | Title: Clinical R&D Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:A digital medtech company whose solutions include an implantable device for proactive heart failure management.During R&D phase, pre-launch of new pulmonary artery (PA), pressure-sensing (MEM) device, contributed to end user interface design and product usability. Liaised with clinical thought leaders and other researchers, engineers, and partner organizations to draft research protocols, write final reports, and ensure regulatory compliance. Company’s Cordella System was launched amidst industry acclaim in 2018. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2007 to 2012 | Employer: Midwest Heart Foundation | Title: Director of Research | Department: |
Responsibilities:Served as general manager with overall budget responsibility and staff of 9 research coordinators. Established infrastructure to support regulatory compliance and Good Clinical Practices (GCP). Oversaw contract negotiations with sponsors and planned/executed over 70 clinical studies.• Grew foundation into an in-demand trial site, while streamlining operations and maintaining neutral budget. • Met or exceeded 100% of sponsors’ goals for subjects enrolled in studies. • Awarded $300K grant for development and research related to peri-operative management of implanted cardiovert defibrillators (ICDs). Resulted in improved industry practices for device management during surgery. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2007 | Employer: Denova Research | Title: Director of Research | Department: |
Responsibilities:Elevated research division from non-compliant status to recognized, sought-after partner for injectable drug and laser-device trials. Developed relationships with industrial partners, wrote and executed clinical studies that furthered product development and launch objectives. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| • American Heart Association • American Association of Heart Failure Nurses • Midwest Nursing Research Society • Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses’ Association • European Society of Cardiology |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| • Board Certified Acute Case Nurse Practitioner (ACNP-BC) • Nursing & Advanced Practice Nurse License |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| • Fellow, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association • American Heart Association’s Healthcare Volunteer of the Year • Advocacy Award for CVD Prevention, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association • Fellow, American Heart Association • Outstanding Faculty Manuscript Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society • Nomination, Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Science and Health, DePaul University • Woman of Spirit and Action, DePaul's Women's Network • You’re the Cure on the Hill Lobby Day Scholarship Awardee • Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, Albert Schweitzer Fellows Program • Community Stewards Fellowship, Loyola University Graduate School |
| Medical / Professional |
|---|
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| • Grants and contracts: 10 totally over $6.5 million • Referred Journal Articles: 28 • Book Chapters: 1 • Conference Presentations: over 50 |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Expert has been retained as an expert witness in malpractice cases for both plaintiffs and defendants in Tennessee and Illinois. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Expert frequently lectures to medical professionals as well as the general public on CVD risk prevention and heart failure. |
| Marketing Experience |
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| Expert has in-depth experience in sponsored clinical trial coordination, including regulatory compliance, budgets and contracts. She managed a research division with over 60 ongoing clinical trials in all areas of cardiovascular disease including device and pharma trials. |