IRB MEMBERSHIP ROSTER

• The following lists the members identified by name; earned degrees; representative capacity; 

indications of experience such as board certifications, licenses, etc., sufficient to describe each 

member’s chief anticipated contributions to IRB deliberations. 

• No member of the Independent Investigational Review Board, Inc has employment or other 

relationship (for example, full-time employee, a member of governing panel or board, stockholder, 

paid or unpaid consultant) of any study sponsor, or otherwise involved with the research. 

Version: 11/3/10                                                                                                                                                                                             Page 1 of 2 

Replaces 1/21/10            IRB Membership Roster  

PRIMARY MEMBERS

Frances Conway, RN, CIP

CHAIR

(Scientific) Affiliated

Member since 2008

Ms. Conway is a registered nurse with knowledge of regulatory requirements as related 

to IRB compliance with FDA, DHHS, and EPA regulations. 

Julie A. Blasingim, BA, MBA, CIP

VICE CHAIR  

(Non‐Scientific) Affiliated

Member since 2009

Ms. Blasingim comes to the IRB with extensive knowledge of human research protection 

issues  and  regulatory  compliance.  She  presents  ongoing  educational  programs  and 

regulatory updates to the IRB members and IIRB staff.  

Marcos Rejtman, DO  

(Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 2005

Dr.  Rejtman  is  Board  Certified  in  Family  Practice,  Geriatric  Medicine  and  Hospice  & 

Palliative Care. Through his experience, Dr. Rejtman is able to evaluate protocols from a 

scientific perspective with a focus on risks/benefit analysis.   

Rabbi Akiva D. Mann, MA

(Non‐Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 1997

Rabbi  Mann  is  the  Director  of  The  Institute  of  Jewish  Knowledge  and  Learning  and 

provides moral and ethical perspectives to the review process. 

Edward Wiederhorn

(Non‐Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 1995

Mr. Wiederhorn is a  community  representative  to  the  IIRB,  Inc. He is a member  of  the 

American Association of Retired Persons  (AARP) and has been involved with  Fraternal 

and Charitable Organizations.  

Shari Somerstein, RPh  

(Scientific) Affiliated

Member since 1999

Ms.  Somerstein  has  extensive  experience  in  clinical  pharmacology  and  the  drug 

development process  through analysis  of clinical and non‐clinical data, with a  focus  on 

human research protection.  

ALTERNATE MEMBERS

Alternate Members serve as a voting member, when filling the role of an absent voting member. Alternate Scientific Members can

serve as a voting alternate member for Frances Conway, but cannot serve as a Chair of the IRB. Alternate Non­Scientific Members

can serve as an alternate voting member for Julie Blasingim, but cannot serve as a Vice Chair of the IRB.

Ernest Bertha, MD, MBA

*(Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 2009

Dr. Bertha is a Board Certified Pediatrician specializing in emergency medicine, bringing 

with him a background of pediatric acute care medicine.  

David D. Wells, MD  

(Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 1996

Dr. Wells has served as an Emergency Medicine Department Chairman. He has worked 

with different ethnic populations, especially migrant workers and brings his sensitivity of 

the social mores of the underprivileged to the IRB.  

Glenn K. Moran, DO, FACOFP

(Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 2004

Dr. Moran is Board Certified in Family Practice. Through his present practice, he is able 

to contribute up to date information related to the current medical world. In addition, Dr, 

Moran is a Clinical Associate Professor of family medicine at a local university.  

Robert Lettman, Esq

(Non‐Scientific) Affiliated

Member since 2004

Mr.  Lettman  is  a  practicing  Attorney  providing  legal  understanding  with  regard  to  the 

rights of research participants.  

Levi G. Williams, Esq

 (Non‐Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 2007

Mr. Williams is a practicing Attorney with a  focus on cultural diversity, including multi‐

racial and juvenile rights.  

Marijke Adams, PharmD, PhD

(Scientific) Unaffiliated  

Member since 2009

Dr.  Adams  is  an  adjunct  pharmacology  Professor  at  a  local  University.  She  also  has 

extensive  experience  in  pharmaceutical  drugs  development,  protocol  development, 

regulatory requirements, and the conduct of clinical and nonclinical research.  
Version: 11/3/10                                                                                                                                                                                             Page 2 of 2 

Replaces 1/21/10            IRB Membership Roster  

Rev. Pat Alessi

(Non‐Scientific) Unaffiliated

Member since 2010

Rev. Pat Alessi is an ordained minister serving as an Associate Minister for more than 35 

years. Her experience allows her  to provide moral and ethical perspectives  to research 

involving humans.  

CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS ROSTER (Version: 1/21/10)  

Removed  George  Garbarino  as  a  Primary  IRB Member,  recognition  of  Frances  Conway  and  Julie  Blasingim  as  Certified  IRB 

Professionals (CIP), correction of Glenn K. Moran MD, FACOFP to Glenn K. Moran DO, FACOFP, and updated the description of 

Dr. Moran’s expertise.