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Press Release
PRIM&R Announces New Board Members for 2025
October 8, 2024
BOSTON—Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) today announced the addition of four new board members who will help guide the national nonprofit in building trust in scientific research and advocating for the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research.
The new board members are Emily Anderson, PhD, MPH, a professor at Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership at Loyola University Chicago’ s Stritch School of Medicine; Nichelle Cobb, PhD, CIP, AAHRPP’s senior advisor for strategic initiatives; Jennifer Klahn, MA, CPIA, UCLA’s Director of Research Safety & Animal Welfare; and Noé Tirado-Muñiz, DMV, DVM, MS, CPIA, associate director and alternate attending veterinarian of the Office of the Attending Veterinarian at the University of Kentucky.
“We are honored to welcome an exceptional group of individuals to the PRIM&R Board,” said PRIM&R Executive Director Ivy R. Tillman, EdD, CIP. “I look forward to the work we will do to build trust in scientific research and support our incredible community of research professionals.”
Anderson recalled sitting next to PRIM&R’s first Executive Director, Joan Rachlin, JD, MPH, at a bioethics meeting in 2005. “She invited me to be her guest at PRIM&R’s annual conference that year, and I have been a member ever since,” Anderson said. “Almost 20 years later, I am thrilled to be joining the PRIM&R Board – and continue my work to promote inclusion of diverse perspectives in the oversight of research that involves people and animals.”
Cobb said, “Being elected to the PRIM&R Board of Directors is so meaningful to me because I have personally benefitted from its mission, especially its commitment to education, professional certification, and community building.”
Cobb recalled that her first professional training was through PRIM&R. “PRIM&R also provided key opportunities, such as its annual conferences and core trainings, to establish a strong network of diverse colleagues who share a passion for advancing research ethics,” Cobb said. “I am looking forward to being able to give back to PRIM&R as a Board Member, especially as the organization contemplates its next 50 years.”
Klahn said she is “tremendously honored” to be named a PRIM&R Board Member, adding, “PRIM&R has afforded me so many professional opportunities over the years. I'm thrilled to be given yet another opportunity to contribute in such a meaningful way to education and growth within our community.”
Klahn noted she began attending PRIM&R’s annual conference as an IACUC coordinator nearly two decades ago. She has taught breakout sessions throughout the years and participated on and moderated several panels, including one focused on the research community's roles and responsibilities in outreach and advocacy.
Tirado-Muñiz said, “I am delighted to join PRIM&R’s Board of Directors and look forward to contribute to expand our audience, membership, and offerings. I would also love to reach out to colleagues in other countries which are developing their programs of animal care and use and serve as a resource to help them succeed in their efforts.”
Tirado-Muñiz noted he has worked in the laboratory animal field for more than three decades, first as a husbandry technician, then as a supervisor and later as a veterinarian. “I have grown as a professional in great part thanks to PRIM&R," he said. "I have benefited from webinars, conferences, one-on-one discussions and many other training offerings that have enriched my understanding. I became a Certified Professional IACUC Administrator (CPIA) several years ago [now known as Certified Professional in IACUC Administration (CPIA®)], which has expanded my understanding of the regulatory framework that guides the use of animals in research, teaching and testing. I was also a member of the PRIM&R Diversity Advisory Group, which helped me better understand subjects related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in research.”
Each of the new board members will begin a three-year term on the PRIM&R Board of Directors in January 2025.
About PRIM&R
Since 1974, PRIM&R has advanced the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research. We accomplish this mission through education, membership services, professional certification, public policy initiatives, and community building. PRIM&R is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Find out more at www.primr.org
Media Contact:
Daniel McLean
Public Engagement Manager
Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R)
Direct: 617-303-1877
dmclean@primr.org
www.primr.org