Tulane Cancer Center Welcomes Sarah Bigelow
as Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Office
Sarah Bigelow, CCRP, has joined the Tulane Cancer Center as Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Office (CTO). Sarah brings an extensive background and a proven record of leadership in oncology clinical research to this pivotal role.
In her new position, Sarah will provide senior leadership and strategic direction for the development and growth of the Tulane Cancer Center CTO. Her responsibilities include overseeing the full lifecycle of oncology clinical research protocols, from feasibility to budget and contract management to subject enrollment and trial closeout activities. Sarah also will establish continuous improvement initiatives that will enhance clinical trial activation, study accessibility, billing compliance, data quality, and participant safety at the Tulane Cancer Center. The recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation of staff, as well as compliance with Institutional Review Board standards, HIPAA, ICH Good Clinical Practice guidelines, FDA regulations, and other regulatory requirements also will be under her purview.
Sarah joins Tulane from the NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center at Wayne State University, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, located in Detroit, Michigan. Over a ten-year tenure at Karmanos, Sarah held various leadership positions, most recently, as Vice President of the Clinical Trials Office. Her responsibilities included the oversight and coordination of over 150 clinical research professionals and supervision of protocol compliance, regulatory and data management, budget management, research nurse operations, personnel, and faculty training and education. Additionally, she oversaw the administrative and financial operations of a statewide clinical research oncology program.
Sarah began her career in clinical research at the Perinatology Research Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (2008-2014). There, she managed branch-wide projects and was part of a team that was awarded a 10-year, multi-million-dollar NICHD contract.
Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in health services administration from Baker College for Online and Graduate Studies. She is also a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).
Throughout her career, Sarah has been an active contributor to the field of clinical research, with numerous abstracts presented at prestigious national conferences, including the Association of American Cancer Institutes Clinical Research Initiatives Annual Meeting and the Society of Clinical Research Associates Annual Meeting.
"We are excited to have Sarah on board," said Tulane Cancer Center Director Stefan Grant, MD, JD, MBA. "Her experience and proven leadership in cancer clinical research make her uniquely qualified to lead our Clinical Trials Office. We are confident that her vision and expertise will significantly enhance our clinical trials program, helping us streamline operations, expand our clinical research capabilities, and provide more treatment options to our patients. We look forward to seeing all that she and her team will accomplish.”
