.jpg "Ikoa E. Jeschke Lopez, MD, CCRC, CIP photo")
Assistant Director for the Quality Improvement and Assurance unit
NYU Langone Health
Ikoa Jeschke Lopez, MD, CCRP, CIP, is the Assistant Director of the Quality Improvement and Assurance (QIA) Division of Human Research Protections at NYU Langone Health (NYULH). She oversees the QIA team, responsible for conducting compliance routine reviews of non-exempt active studies at NYULH and directed audits, evaluating and reporting findings, drafting corrective and preventive action (CAPA) plans, and presenting their findings to the Principal Investigator and team in Institutional Review Board (IRB) and other executive meetings. The QIA program also concentrates on education and support of NYULH investigators and teams involved in the conduct of human research.
Ikoa trained as an MD and has over 13 years of experience in research regulations, both in industry and academic settings. She has worked as a pharmaceutical physician for Hofmann La Roche Ltd. in the UK, as Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Specialist, and as a Senior Scientific Manager at the NYULH IRB, giving her a wealth of knowledge in research regulation. Throughout her career, Ikoa has cherished the opportunity to be involved in educational efforts such as regularly conducting teaching sessions for research (e.g., research fundamentals, QIA educational sessions, etc.). She continuously provides feedback to investigators (internal and external), other IRBs and their teams on areas of improvement in their research and the institution’s requirements. Her primary objectives have always been to ensure the safety and wellbeing of clinical trial participants, for NYULH iInvestigators to conduct trials in compliance with protocol and Standard Operating Procedures in accordance with ICH/GCP guidelines and the Code of Federal Regulations, and to develop her multitasking and prioritization skills in order to consistently achieve high quality results.