In order to expand support for clinical research across the enterprise, Rhoda Arzoomanian, RN, MSM, will join Yale on April 1 as associate director of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI) and Yale Cancer Center.
A nationally recognized expert in cancer clinical research, clinical trials databases, and the management of an NCI-designated cancer center, Arzoomanian has over 25 years of clinical research experience. She joins Yale from the University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center (UWCCC), where she has held the position of associate director of administration since 2010.
“We are thrilled to have Rhoda join our team and help us expand Yale’s clinical research program,” said Robert Sherwin, MD, director of YCCI. “Her experience in cancer clinical research will translate across our entire research enterprise as we seek to fortify and grow clinical trials at Yale.”
Arzoomanian’s role will encompass clinical research across the medical campus, including Yale Cancer Center. She will oversee clinical research regulatory units, developing results-oriented strategies for these areas, as well as testing and verifying compliance and good clinical practices. Her experience over the past 15 years working on three Cancer Center Support Grants at the UWCCC, most recently overseeing the entire renewal and site visit in 2012, will be invaluable in her role at Yale, as will her ability to bring people from diverse backgrounds together.
“We are delighted to welcome Rhoda to Yale Cancer Center. She will bring a bolt of energy to our efforts to build a rigorous infrastructure to support our expanding portfolio of clinical research,” said Thomas Lynch, Jr., MD, director of Yale Cancer Center.
YCCI has a history of collaboration with Yale Cancer Center, as evidenced by their identification of shared goals and resources to solidify a mutually beneficial partnership. The two centers jointly support the Yale Center for Analytical Sciences and several research cores, have worked together to implement OnCore, and merged components of the infrastructure to support clinical and translational research, including financial administration, billing, IND support and development, quality assurance, and training. Arzoomanian’s familiarity with cancer clinical research and her role in overseeing clinical trials across the entire institution help cement the relationship between YCCI and Yale Cancer Center, which has benefitted clinical research as a whole at Yale.
Arzoomanian began her career at the UWCCC as a research nurse in the Phase I Clinical Research Program and rose to Phase I program manager and assistant director for clinical research before assuming her most recent position. She was responsible for overseeing the UWCCC’s operational activities, including administrative, finance, research administration, clinical research clinical informatics, and strategic development.
At the UWCCC, Arzoomanian also worked with both Epic and OnCore, an approach similar to Yale’s enterprise-wide adoption of these systems as the foundation of its IT platform. She was a subject matter expert and worked on the design of the financial billing module prior to and during the OnCore implementation at the UWCCC, which was the first site to implement this system. The UWCCC is also a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) site, and she has worked with Yale colleagues as the two institutions have collaborated and shared lessons learned over the past several years.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Yale,” said Arzoomanian. “I’m excited to be part of this amazing team and I hope my past experience can bring a fresh new perspective.”