Published September 3, 2019
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Cindy Brantmeier has been selected to serve as the first Faculty Fellow in International Research for the School of Medicine and Danforth Campus.
The Faculty Fellow in International Research will advise faculty on conducting international research and achieving effective collaborations with international partners that are compliant with university policies and the regulatory requirements and procedures that exist in the international setting.
Cindy is Professor and Director of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Education and has extensive experience in conducting global research with human subjects of diverse languages and cultures, and is an expert in International IRB Research Protocol. She has conducted research and/or has participated on research teams around the world including Nicaragua, China, Republic of Georgia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Malaysia, England, Norway and others.
Navigating international partnerships and regulations around international research can present a variety of challenging issues including how to: identify appropriate translators and cultural reviewers, understand country-specific laws and regulations around data collection instruments and procedures, transport and store consent forms and data, apply research identification standards, and conduct research at international sites that do not have a local IRB or equivalent ethics committee approval. During her 19 years at Washington University, Cindy has experience meeting these high ethical and scientific standards with her own experimental studies.
I am thrilled to have Cindy as our inaugural international research faculty fellow. She will provide much needed support and advice to our faculty who want to conduct research abroad by offering guidance on study procedures, recruitment of participants and informed consent, protocol training for on-site individuals, to name a few. Cindy will assist faculty in thinking through the best approach to making the research process efficient while simultaneously following the necessary regulatory requirements for conducting research abroad and at Washington University. Cindy will also advise university leadership on new matters affecting international human subject research.
Please contact Cindy (cbrantme@wustl.edu) with any questions and to set up an appointment with her. Cindy is happy to meet in the offices of the School of Medicine, and on the Danforth Campus she will hold meetings in Seigle 135.
Sincerely,
Jennifer K. Lodge, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Research