2025 Board of Directors
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President
2024 - 2025
Aris Beoglos Eliades, PhD, RN, CRN-BC, supports research and evidence-based practice at Akron Children’s Hospital. During her tenure she served in education and research leadership positions within the nursing division and the Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute, was instrumental in building the nursing research program and advancing clinical research nursing, and has received multiple awards including the March of Dimes Ohio Research Nurse of the Year.
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President-Elect
2025
Tamara Kempken Mehring, MSN, RN, CRN-BC has been a clinical research nurse since 1996 – serving as CRN coordinator, direct care CRN, charge nurse, and playing a key role in protocol implementation. In 2011 she earned her master’s degree in nursing education from Edgewood College and is currently the Clinical Research Unit clinical nurse specialist at UW Health.
Tamara is an active member of IACRN, has served on numerous committees and workgroups, co-authored the Scope and Standards of Practice for Clinical Research Nursing, contributed to the IACRN Clinical Research Nursing Core Curriculum, and in 2022 was awarded the IACRN Distinguished Clinical Research Nurse Award.
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Treasurer
2024
Sheryl Forbes, PhD, MEd, RN, CRN-BC, CCRP is a Nursing Research Quality Specialist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. An oncology nurse since 2010, Sheryl has been active in clinical research since 2013, serves on multiple committees, leads quality improvement initiatives, and has been on the IACRN Board of Directors as both Member at Large and Treasurer.
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Secretary
2025
Catherine A. Griffith, PhD, RN is the current IACRN Secretary. With a background in critical care and experience as an adult burn/trauma nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist, Catherine was introduced to clinical trials in the ICU and now serves as an Advisor to the MGH CRN Collaborative.
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Chair, Committee Chair & Leadership Collaborative (CC&LC)
2025
Melissa Schmitt began her career in 2005 at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Hospital and transitioned to clinical research in 2008. Now, she works with a multi-disciplinary team on studies involving neuroprosthesis and drug trials, and her leadership is further demonstrated by her active role in the IACRN and CCLC.
Her ongoing commitment is evident through her continued involvement with the IACRN Leadership Program and her current role as the 2025 chair of the committee.
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Member-at-Large
2024
Kristen Legor, PhD, JD, RN, OCN, CRN-BC is the Vice President of Clinical Research Nursing Operations and Associate Chief Nurse at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. She oversees protocol reviews, coordinates clinical trial education, and has served on the DF/HCC Institutional Review Board for over a decade.
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Member-at-Large
2025
Lee Ann Lawson BSN MS APRN CCRC is an Associate Medical Director for Fabry Disease at Amicus Therapeutics, a global, patient dedicated, biotech company dedicated to discovering, developing, and delivering high quality treatments for patients living with rare metabolic diseases. Lee Ann has more than 20 years of nursing experience, with a strong passion for providing family centered care to those living with rare disease. Lee Ann worked 15 years at academic translational research programs in various clinical research roles including study nurse, study coordinator, regulatory coordinator, and co-investigator. Lee Ann joined IACRN in 2017 and participated in the IACRN Leadership Program in 2018. Lee Ann authored the Informed Consent Chapter in the Clinical Research Nursing Core Curriculum (2021), facilitated the IACRN Leadership Program (2021-2023), served on the Education Committee (2018-2022) served as chair-elect of the CCLC (2023).
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Global Member-at-Large
2024
Noriko Fujiwara, RN, Ph.D, CRN-BC, OCNS, CCRP, is a research nurse and oncology/ palliative care nurse specialist at the IMSUT Hospital, the University of Tokyo, Japan. She has been actively involved with the IACRN since 2010 and has served as president of the IACRN Japan Chapter since 2016. Her global contributions include serving as an advisor to other international chapters on the Chapter Governance Committee (since 2016) and implementing global events through the Conference Planning Committee (2021–2024). She also co-authored the "Drug Development Process" chapter in the Clinical Research Nursing Core Curriculum (2021) and mentored in the IACRN Leadership Program (2020, 2023). In 2024, she was honored with the DCRNA Award. She has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of clinical research through collaboration with patients and the public, and by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
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