Robert H. Christenson, PhD
Director, CCRL
Professor, Pathology and Medical & Research Technology, UMSOM
Dr. Christenson is Professor of Pathology and Professor of Medical & Research Technology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is Director of his institution’s ComACC post-doctoral training fellowship program in laboratory medicine. Dr. Christenson has promulgated more than 485 peer-reviewed papers, 40 book chapters, five books, five patents and more than 350 abstracts. Dr. Christenson is a Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry and Fellow of the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine, and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Clinically, Dr. Christenson is the Medical Director of the Core Laboratories and CLIA license holder for Point-of-Care services at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Christenson served as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, an ADLM publication. Dr. Christenson has been active in his "home" professional association, ADLM (formerly AACC), where he has been elected to the Board of Directors, as Secretary and the association’s President. Recently, he was bestowed the AACC Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Christenson has also been active in the IFCC and his contributions were recognized by presentation of the IFCC’s highest award, the Henry-Wishinsky Award for Distinguished International Service.
Christopher R. deFilippi, MD, MS, FACC
Co-Director, CCRL
Professor, Medicine and Pathology, UMSOM
Dr. Christopher deFilippi is a Professor of Medicine (Division of Cardiology) and Pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His career has been distinguished by a sustained focus on the discovery, validation, and clinical application of cardiac biomarkers. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and has received funding from the NIH and the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry to lead biomarker-based clinical trials across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease.
Over the past 25 years, Dr. deFilippi has collaborated extensively with the IVD industry, contributing to the development of multiple FDA-cleared assays and co-authoring pivotal publications that have shaped biomarker use in clinical practice. He has led the design of numerous diagnostic clinical trials and has served as chairperson for adjudication and endpoint committees supporting FDA registration studies.
To further strengthen his expertise in study design and high-dimensional data analysis, Dr. deFilippi recently completed a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at Harvard Medical School. His current research integrates discovery-based proteomics to identify circulating protein biomarkers that serve as effect measure modifiers, enhancing precision in treatment response across diverse patient populations.
Dr. deFilippi rejoined the University of Maryland following his tenure at the Inova Health System, where he established and directed a successful biomarker core laboratory. His return marks a continuation of a long-standing collaboration with Dr. Robert Christenson, with whom he previously worked for more than 15 years in advancing translational biomarker science.
CCRL Staff
Heather Rebuck, BS, Lab Manager
Heather has been working in the field of laboratory science and medicine for 32 years. She holds a BS in medical technology and has NCA and ASCP certifications. She has managed the CCRL for 27 years and is responsible not only for overseeing the coordination of projects from start to completion, but also performs bench testing herself as a clinical laboratory scientist. Throughout her career, Heather has gained an outstanding reputation in working with sponsors in all facets of clinical studies, including submitting projects to the Institutional Review Board, developing budgets, and providing valuable logistical support. Heather has a knowledge base in the capabilities and operation of a myriad of laboratory instrumentation, and her work has allowed sponsors to successfully gain FDA approval for many new tests and instruments coming into the in vitro diagnostics field worldwide.
Samir Jafri, PhD
Samir supervises the CCRL staff whose functions are mainly recruitment and testing off campus at two local medical centers. These other medical centers allow recruitment of a diverse mix of subjects for studies and point-of-care testing. Samir is involved in first-hand subject recruitment and testing, and is skilled in developing IRB submissions, budgets, and submission of projects at the sister institutions.
Medical Laboratory Scientist Staff
Sharon Huang, BS
Sharon has been working in lab science and medicine for 37 years and holds a BS in Medical Technology from the University of Maryland. Sharon is responsible for performing projects from start to completion and has extensive experience with laboratory instrumentation. She is particularly skilled with ELISA and other specialty testing.
Sarah Donald, MS, MLS (ASCP)
Sarah joined the CCRL team more than eight years ago, following extensive bench laboratory and clinical chemistry experience and expertise in hospital laboratory and commercial laboratory environments. Sarah’s skills in medical laboratory science are diverse; she is an expert in hematology, coagulation, point-of-care, and other assays.
Elisabeth Vicente, MHS
Elisabeth has more than 10 years of experience as a medical technologist with expertise in molecular biology, ELISA testing, and the operation of multiple immune-assay and platforms for laboratory diagnostics.
Alla Lisok, MA
Alla has conducted cancer bench research and played an important role in developing multiple unique diagnostic assays. Alla has nearly 20 years of experience and has served in the role of Lab Manager. For the last several years, she has gained expertise across multiple automated immunoassay platforms and ELISA-based testing.
Sabrina McNeal, MLS
Sabrina practiced laboratory medicine in the highly automated, high-volume core section of clinical laboratories at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She also gained extensive experience in the institution's mass spectrometry laboratory prior to joining CCRL. She has exceptional troubleshooting acumen across multiple commercial immunoassay analyzers and other platforms. She was successfully recruited to the CCRL more than two years ago and has served as the primary contact for several successful projects.
Clinical Coordinators
Clinical Coordinator Staff Roles
The coordinator staff perform numerous functions for CCRL, including:
- Prospective screening and recruitment of participants for clinical diagnostics studies, both at the University of Maryland Medical Center (the quaternary academic medical center connected to CCRL) in multiple settings (i.e. emergency department, intensive care units, ambulatory practices), as well as across multiple University of Maryland Medical System community hospitals and practices representative of the diverse demographics throughout the State of Maryland.
- Conducting chart reviews using electronic health records and other sources for participants (prospective or retrospective) throughout the medical system.
- Entry of data and key information into sponsor databases.
- Participation in sample collection and pre-analytical processing for clinical studies.
- Operating and evaluating waived and moderate complexity point-of-care testing.
Coordinator Staff Members
Raina Morsi, BS
Raina is a skilled recruiter of subjects, collecting and documenting clinical information by chart review and interviews. Raina's functions are mainly at a suburban community medical center.
Jamila Aliyu, MBBS
Jamila is trained as a physician and is a very skilled recruiter. She performs excellent chart review functions and documentation.
Jovita Diaz McNair, MS, MA, MS
Jovita worked in research laboratories before joining CCRL. She is a skilled recruiter and performs several administrative tasks for CCRL.
Christina Van Valkenburgh
Christina brings 35 years of direct patient care experience, ranging from the Emergency Room to the Operating room, including 10 years in military medicine with an emphasis on pre-hospital and trauma care.