NRP Research Conference

Please join us for the 2026 UNC Network for Research Professionals (NRP) Research Conference! This all-day, in-person event will have various presentations, breakout sessions, a poster session, and a panel discussion.

Conference Details

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Kirkland Auditorium, Koury Oral Health Sciences Building, 385 S Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

conference attendees sitting together and smiling

Agenda and Registration

8:30am-9:00am	Breakfast/Registration	Outside Kirkland Auditorium
9:00am-9:05am	Welcome and Introduction	Susan Moist, MPH, CCRP Chair, UNC Network for Research Professionals Director of Clinical Trial Operations, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD) Kirkland Auditorium
9:05am-9:15am	Opening Remarks	Andy Johns Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Kirkland Auditorium
9:20am-10:20am	Breakout 1	Veeva eRegulatory and eDocumentation Ariel Sanderford, BS; Assistant Director of Clinical Trial Operations, CEDAS Alex Kass, MSN, MBA, RN; Research Program Director, EnDO CRU / Eastowne CRU Leveraging GenAI for Research Tasks Katherine Howell, MSLIS; Health Sciences Librarian, Health Sciences Library Luke Barron, MSLS; Clinical Librarian, Health Sciences Library Principal Investigator Management of Investigational Drugs Rachel Muñoz, MS; Assistant Director, Clinical Trial Quality Assurance Erika Hanami, CCRC; Administrative Director Clinical Trials, UNC Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center Katie Marsh, MPH; CRAU Operations Manager, Office of Clinical Research Support & Operations
10:30am-11:30am	Breakout 2	Beyond the Signature: Consent Strategies for Children and Adults with Limited Capacity Lauren Shumpert, CCRP; Research Specialist, Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine Juanita Cuffee, MPH, CCRP; Clinical Trials Director, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Miriam Davis, RN, BSN, CCRP; Clinical Trials Director, Children’s Research Institute Advancing Your Research in 2026: New Data Services from TraCS Anna Jojic, MLS; Senior Research Project Manager, NC TraCS Cara Thurman Johnson, MPH, RN; Research Project Manager, NC TraCS Adam Lee, PhD, MBA; Research Informatics Specialist/Lead, NC TraCS Research Policy in Motion: What’s New and What It Means for You Quinton Johnson, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Compliance and Conflict of Interest Officer Jeanne Lovmo, Director of Policy, Governance, and Process
11:30am-12:50pm	Lunch, Posters, Resume Review, and Networking	Poster Presentations and Networking Pick up Lunch and check out posters, have your resume reviewed, head to Kirkland for networking, and take a break.
12:50pm – 1:50pm	Breakout 3	OnCore Subject Management: What to Do and Why It Matters Danielle Swing, OnCore Applications Analyst, Research Data Management Core (RDMC) Making Sense of Qualitative Research Paul Mihas, MA; Assistant Director, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research, Odum Institute Conducting Clinical Research in a Healthcare Setting: Challenges and Successes Kathleen Loeven, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, Clinical Nurse, NC TraCS Summer Lawrence, MPH, Project Manager, OCR Susan Beymer, MSML, Project Manager, OCR
2:00pm – 3:00pm	Research Participant Panel	The Importance of What We Do: Clinical Research Changes Lives Moderator: Patty Spears, BS, FASCO; Patient Advocacy and Scientific Research Manager, LCCC Kirkland Auditorium
3:00 pm-4:00 pm	Keynote Speaker	Clinical Trials: How you matter more than you can imagine John B. Buse, MD, PhD, Verne S. Caviness Distinguished Professor of Medicine Kirkland Auditorium
4:00pm – 4:20pm	Awards, Recognitions, and Closing Remarks	Susan Moist, MPH, CCRP Chair, UNC Network for Research Professionals Director of Clinical Trial Operations, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD) Kirkland Auditorium

All Day events

9:00am – 4:00pm | Drop-in Systems Support and Research Offices

Breakout session and panel topics are being finalized. Locations and further information will be posted as available.

Poster Session

We also invite you to submit an abstract for our poster session. This session will showcase the expertise, innovation, and impact of research professionals across UNC and UNC Health. Top-rated abstracts will be invited to present posters at the conference on May 20, 2026.

Relevant Dates

Abstract submission deadline: Monday, April 20th at 11:59pm
Acceptance notifications: Monday, April 27th

Submission Requirements

Poster abstracts should clearly and concisely describe the project’s purpose, methods, findings, and relevance to research operations. Submissions may be individual or collaborative; at least one author must be an NRP member. Previously presented or published data are permitted. All abstracts must be submitted in English at app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/81979/submitter.

Details regarding the submission criteria: Clean Call for Posters (pdf)

Download a poster template (.pptx)

Awards

The UNC Network for Research Professionals (NRP) is excited to accept nominations to recognize the achievements of its members in the past year. These awards are intended to celebrate the diverse achievements of our members and inspire others to strive for excellence in their research endeavors. We are currently seeking nominations for the following potential awards.

Rising Star in Research
Excellence in Human Subjects Research
Collaborative Research Leadership
Research Communication Excellence
Community Impact
Lifetime Achievement

Nominations are submitted via a Qualtrics survey.

Winners will be announced during the 2026 UNC NRP Research Conference on May 20, 2026.

Details regarding each award and eligibility criteria: 2026 UNC Network for Research Professionals Awards (pdf)

The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, April 20th at 11:59pm.

Interested in helping? Please reach out to nrp@unc.edu if you would like to help with this event.

View highlights from last year’s conference