AAHRPP Names New Board Chair, Vice Chair
AAHRPP has tapped veteran leaders Heather Pierce, JD, MPH, and Scott Lipkin, DPM, CIP, to head our Board of Directors as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Stephen Rosenfeld, MD, MBA, is Immediate Past Chair.
Heather is Senior Director for Science Policy and Regulatory Counsel at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), one of AAHRPP’s founding organizations. A thought-leader on research-related issues, Heather routinely presents at national forums and publishes articles and commentaries in science journals and other national publications. She also has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R), another of AAHRPP’s founders.
Scott is Corporate Vice President for Research at Baptist Health South Florida. He has served as an AAHRPP site visitor and on the Council on Accreditation and, last year, was named to the Board of Directors. Scott brings a passion for research protections and more than 30 years of research-related experience, including as an executive research administrator, HRPP administrator, IRB chair, and clinical research investigator. He is a frequent presenter at professional events and conferences throughout the U.S.
Heather and Scott take the lead during a pivotal period. “The research community has experienced so many disruptions and so much uncertainty about the nation’s commitment to research,” Heather says. “In this environment, AAHRPP’s role and value have only increased. I am thrilled at the opportunity to be even more involved at this critical time.”
AAHRPP also will see a change at the top with the retirement later this year of Elyse I. Summers, JD, President and CEO. As Vice Chair, Scott heads the President and CEO Search Committee and is focused on ensuring a smooth transition. He also sees potential to increase awareness of AAHRPP and its impact on research outside the scientific community.
“The reputation of research has been tarnished in recent years, and it’s essential that we restore that lost faith and trust,” Scott says. “What AAHRPP does and stands for should be front and center in any conversation about research protections and ethical practices. I’m looking forward to helping AAHRPP lead that conversation.”
He and Heather join Elyse in expressing their appreciation to Stephen for his contributions as a Board member, especially for his leadership as chair.
“Stephen’s term as chair was bookended by the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the most unsettling years in the history of U.S. research,” Elyse says. “Yet he led with grace and a steady, reassuring hand. We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.”