Research coordinators are integral to the success of the STAR center. They support the research interests of attending physicians and fellows in the Surgery, Anesthesia and Emergency Medicine departments, resulting in a wide array of study topics revolving around the central theme of critical care. They mostly work with inpatients in the ICU, yet continue to follow up with patients after step-down or discharge home.
Their work spans all aspects of clinical research, from developing IRB proposals to patient screening, consent, enrollment, sample collection, daily clinical assessments, follow-up surveys, data entry and even manuscript writing. They conduct prospective studies, from industry sponsored drug and device trials to novel patient treatment plans, as well as retrospective research to investigate previous patient outcomes and trends.
The STAR team was developed in 2004, and continues to recruit top college graduates for 2 year positions starting every summer. The research coordinators work very closely as a team, collaborating on the 15+ research projects they carry out. Many STAR coordinators go on to obtain higher degrees in the healthcare profession.
Chuan-Chin Huang- Biostatistician
Chuan-Chin Huang is a biostatistician in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Originally from Taiwan, he obtained his first Master's degree in Toxicology from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2009. He received his second M.S in Biostatistics and a Sc.D. in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in 2014. During his time at HSPH, he was deeply involved with tuberculosis research and had served as a teaching assistant in many data analysis and study design courses where he further developed his proficiency in epidemiological study design, data analysis, and programming.
Jesse W. Loughlin- Clinical Research Coordinator
Jesse W. Loughlin graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a major in Biochemistry. During his four years at Bowdoin, he was a member of the baseball team and completed an internship at the Sports Performance Center at the Brigham and Women’s/Mass General Health Care Center Foxboro location. While there, he researched the biomechanical roots of arm injuries in baseball players, which spurred his interest in clinical research. Jesse plans to attend medical school in 2016.
Sean A. Gemunden-Clinical Research Coordinator
Sean A. Gemunden graduated from Bates College in 2014 with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Spanish. During his senior year at Bates he completed a year-long thesis focused on Ribosomal S6 Kinase 2 and its role in Human Skin Cancer development. As a volunteer at St. Mary’s hospital in Lewiston, ME, Sean developed a passion for working with patients, which led him to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Sean hopes to attend medical school in 2016.
Matthew W. Long-Clinical Research Coordinator
Matthew Long is both a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Surgical ICU Translational Research (STAR) Center and the Administrative Program Coordinator for the BWH Ultrasound Guided Central Venous Catheter Placement Training Program. Having graduated from Wesleyan University in 2014 with a degree in Chemistry, Matthew was a member of the football team, worked as an organic chemistry teaching assistant, and was a research assistant on a biofuel development team focusing on enzymatic lignin degradation. Matthew is now assisting with various research projects for the STAR Center while coordinating the Ultrasound CVC Training Program at BWH. His interest in the junction of chemistry and medicine led him to pursue clinical research and he hopes to attend medical school in 2016.
Hallie E. Bates-Clinical Research Coordinator
Hallie E. Bates graduated from Bowdoin College in 2015 with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. Throughout her time at Bowdoin, Hallie developed a passion for emergency care that began with her work as a volunteer in the Emergency Department of Brunswick’s Mid Coast Hospital, which eventually led her to obtain her certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. During college, Hallie also became interested in global health initiatives through her work with the PROVIDE Study, which aims to understand the biological basis for the underperformance of Rotavirus and Oral Polio vaccines in developing countries. These experiences have brought Hallie to the STAR Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where she continues to pursue her passion for emergency care and global health while forging plans to attend medical school in the near future.
Zachary A. Gandee-Clinical Research Coordinator
Zachary A. Gandee graduated from Wesleyan University in 2015 with a double-major in Biology and Biochemistry. During his time at Wesleyan, he was a member of the baseball team and actively participated in the Wesleyan Science Outreach program, which sought to supplement the science education of local elementary schools near Middletown, CT. During his senior year, he also volunteered at the Connecticut Valley Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Middletown, CT. This experience solidified his passion for more empathetic patient care in medicine. Zachary hopes to attend medical school in 2017.
