Dana Rizk, MD, has been named the Medical Director for UAB’s Clinical Trials Administrative Office (CTAO). The CTAO oversees the various policies, procedures, systems, and initiatives supporting the clinical trials conducted at UAB. Read on to learn more about her background in clinical research, and why she’s excited for what’s to come.

I am a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I completed my residency, chief residency and fellowship at Emory University Hospital and joined UAB in 2008.

My exposure to clinical research started during my fellowship and I fell in love with this career path. However, beyond the science, clinical research opened my eyes to patients, families and volunteers’ dedication and commitment to the advancement of science. My current clinical and research interests revolve around glomerular diseases and, in particular IgA Nephropathy (IgAN). I am the principal investigator of several clinical trials and am part of multi-disciplinary translational research projects focused on the pathogenesis of IgAN and the role of biomarkers.

Four years ago, as Director of Clinical Trials Research in the Division of Nephrology I set out to re-organize the infrastructure and teamwork behind our clinical trials. My goal was to have clinical trials accessible to patients. I also wanted to streamline the submission and budget negotiation process to make it more efficient and successful. In doing so, I was hoping to engage junior investigators and trainees and build our future ambassadors in clinical research.

I am looking forward to working together to continue to make UAB a premier destination for clinical trials research!