Dionna serves as Director of Clinical Research and the CTRC for the Wyss Institute and oversees the clinical research portfolio at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). In these roles, she provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all clinical research activities across both institutions. Dionna partners closely with faculty, collaborators, external partners, and federal sponsors to advance a diverse portfolio of clinical studies, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and full compliance with federal, state, local, and institutional regulations.
Committed to fostering a culture of operational excellence and innovation, Dionna leads the development and implementation of the clinical research infrastructure. Her responsibilities include creating standard operating procedures, driving study design, shaping regulatory strategy, overseeing subject engagement, and guiding outcome assessments. She brings deep expertise in navigating complex regulatory and compliance landscapes, ensuring that all research activities consistently meet the highest standards for human subject protection, HIPAA compliance, and data integrity. She also oversees internal monitoring and quality assurance processes to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
Since joining the Wyss Institute in 2015, Dionna has leveraged her extensive background in translational clinical research, clinical trial operations, and program management to drive the growth and success of the clinical research enterprise across both Wyss and SEAS. Prior to Harvard, she served as Manager of Clinical Trials at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where she led multi-site international pediatric sickle cell trials under the direction of Dr. Michael R. DeBaun.
Dionna is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP). She holds a B.A. from Spelman College, and both an M.P.H. and M.S. from Saint Louis University’s School of Public Health and Doisy College of Allied Health Sciences.