Children's National Appoints Naomi Luban, MD, as Institutional Review Board Chair

Washington, DC—Naomi Luban, MD, has been named Chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Medical Director of the Office for the Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS) at Children’s National Medical Center.

Children’s National offers its patients access to pediatric clinical research, including clinical trials, across a range of childhood illnesses. Research at Children’s National spans translational, clinical, and community studies, conducted in an environment where researchers and physicians can easily collaborate and where physicians can apply the latest advances to improve patient care. The IRB and OPHS ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of research participants.

“Dr. Luban is ideal to fill this important position because of her ability to balance the needs of clinical research with the protection of the children who participate in research studies,” said Mark L. Batshaw, MD, Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer, and Physician-in-Chief at Children’s National Medical Center. “She has dedicated more than 35 years of service to Children’s National, and we look forward to her leadership in this very important position in our research program.”

“I am delighted to take on this new role, helping to give patients and families access to clinical trials and ensuring that our research benefits from thorough review as we seek better understanding, prevention, and treatment of childhood injuries and diseases,” said Dr. Luban.

Dr. Luban is a distinguished hematologist with specific expertise in transfusion medicine and immunology who has published more than 140 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 40 medical book chapters. She is an active, NIH-funded investigator and a research mentor to junior faculty members at Children’s National. She will continue her many responsibilities as Vice Chair of Pediatrics for Faculty Affairs at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences; Director of the Education Component of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National; and Director of Transfusion Medicine at Children’s National. 

Contact: Emily Hartman or Paula Darte, 202-476-4500.