Board Nominations Sought

A Message from Julie Lumeng, M.D., Associate Dean for Research, Medical School; Associate Vice President for Research-Clinical and Human Subjects Research, University of Michigan

August 21, 2026

Dear Colleagues

I am thrilled to announce that Louise O’Brien, PhD, MS, and Andrew Smith, PharmD, have accepted positions as Vice Chairs of IRBMED. 

As Vice Chairs, Drs. O’Brien and Smith will assist with the oversight of all human subjects research under the IRBMED, providing leadership to the IRBMED Office and boards, mentorship to investigators, and guidance to the research community in upholding ethical standards in human research.

Andrew Smith, PharmD, is Manager of the Michigan Medicine Research Pharmacy and has served as an IRBMED board member for the past five years, including service on the A1 and B2 Boards. He has also reviewed exempt and non-regulated research. In his role with Research Pharmacy, Dr. Smith leads the intake, activation, and ongoing management of the more than 650 drug-related clinical trials conducted at Michigan Medicine. He previously served as the lead pharmacist for Expanded Access ("compassionate use") cases and represented the pharmacy team during sponsor and FDA inspections. He also precepts pharmacy students and residents and coordinates a longitudinal IRB learning experience for second-year pharmacy residents. At the national level, Dr. Smith serves on the Pharmaceutical Sciences Committee of the SWOG Cancer Research Network and participates in the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists Work Group of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Purdue University College of Pharmacy and completed a residency in Investigational Drugs and Research Pharmacy at Michigan Medicine. Dr. Smith will serve as the Vice Chair for IRBMED’s B2 Board. 

Louise O’Brien, PhD, is a professor in the Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Neurology, with secondary appointments in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the School of Dentistry. She earned a BSc in Human Physiology and a Ph.D. in Neonatal Physiology in the United Kingdom, where she also completed postdoctoral training in maternal-infant health. After relocating to the United States, she completed a fellowship in pediatric sleep research and joined the University of Michigan faculty in 2006. She has served on IRBMED as a board member since 2007. Dr. O’Brien’s research bridges sleep medicine and obstetrics, examining how sleep disturbances and interventions to improve sleep affect maternal and fetal outcomes. With more than 30 years of human subjects research experience, she leads and collaborates on clinical studies ranging from small cohorts to large epidemiological investigations and randomized controlled trials in the United States and internationally. 

Her work spans populations across the reproductive lifespan and includes NIH- and foundation-funded trials involving FDA-regulated devices and mobile health technologies. She has served on NIH study sections and other grant-review panels for approximately 20 years and is deeply committed to developing the next generation of researchers through mentorship and research training programs. Dr. O’Brien will serve as the Vice Chair for IRBMED’s A2 Board. 

Together Drs. O’Brien and Smith bring 24 years of combined IRB experience to their new roles as IRBMED Vice Chairs. Their longstanding commitment to human research protections and deep understanding of ethical and regulatory oversight will be invaluable as they step into these leadership positions. Please join me in welcoming them to these leadership roles.

Best regards,
Julie Lumeng, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics
Associate Dean for Research, Medical School
Associate Vice President for Research-Clinical and Human Subjects Research, University of Michigan