Managing Software Applications that Support Research

Laura Wimbiscus, MS, is senior project manager and usability analyst for the Research Informatics Group (RIG) at Feinberg. After working in the for-profit sector, Wimbiscus was looking for a change and found Northwestern. Now, she supports investigators at Feinberg by helping to manage critical research software scientists use to manage study participants, budgets, and more. 

Where is your hometown?  

The much maligned but truthfully phenomenal city of Cleveland, OH. That said, if I could live anywhere else, I’d choose Chicago, this is a marvelous city. The “forever open, clear, and free” lakefront is unparalleled.  

What led you to Northwestern?  

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 led me to Northwestern. I had been working in the for-profit sector at that time and wanted to change that. NUCATS’ talented software development team was looking for someone to help design (and evaluate for usability) the home-grown applications they were building. The ARRA initially funded my position as part of a NUCATS grant, and our team has since been brought under the wing of FSM IT.   

What are you currently working on?  

I manage projects for two in-house software applications: Competitions, which is a platform for grants, and Study Tracker, which is a CTMS or Clinical Trials Management System. The latter caught the attention of our affiliates at Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Lurie Children’s Hospital. It impressed them such that they hired us to build them their own version.  

How does your work support the research enterprise at Feinberg?  

Researchers use Study Tracker to manage their studies including participants, study costs, and coming soon, schedules. We’ve made it connect to, and work in concert with, many other NU/NM systems such as eIRB, Epic, and REDCap wherever possible, to reduce the amount of double entry users have to do. The research community uses Competitions to advertise grants, collect submissions, review and award them. Many researchers, understandably, have an intimate relationship with a certain ubiquitous spreadsheet application. We’re trying to replicate its usability and wean them off that onto secure, centralized systems. 

Why do you enjoy working at Northwestern?  

In no particular order: the Northwestern University atmosphere (I’m always on the lookout for speakers, panels and events to attend), my colleagues (who are brilliant, and a joy to work with), the view from my desk (see aforementioned “forever open, clear, and free”), the fact that I can bike to work and being involved in research.