Rebecca Collen is an accomplished clinical research leader with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and over eight years specifically in academic clinical research. She currently serves as the Associate Director for Clinical Research Operations at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine. In this role, she leads the research activation process, ensures regulatory compliance, evaluates study feasibility, and partners with institutional leadership to enhance operational effectiveness across the research enterprise.

Rebecca’s healthcare journey began in bedside nursing, where she gained hands-on experience in critical care and surgical intensive care at The Cleveland Clinic. Her academic achievements include an LPN (2001), a BSN from Kent State University (2009), and an MBA from VCU (2020), earned in pursuit of her passion for research administration and strategic operations.

At VCU, she has advanced through roles of increasing responsibility—from Clinical Research Coordinator to Project Manager, and now to Associate Director. Her work has centered on complex studies in liver disease, transplantation, surgical interventions, and critical care, including multiple NIH- and industry-sponsored projects. Notably, she contributed to COVID-19 research and a wide array of peer-reviewed publications in areas such as NASH, proteomics, and patient-reported outcomes.

Rebecca is deeply committed to quality, education, and service. She spearheads training for new research coordinators, delivers regulatory assistance, and promotes best practices throughout the VCU research community. Her dedication has been recognized with several honors, including the VCU President’s Service Excellence Award. With a dual foundation in clinical care and research operations, Rebecca offers a well-rounded, patient-centered approach to advancing clinical research, ensuring it is efficient, ethical, and impactful.