Director
Josiah “Jody” Rich, MD, MPH
Deputy Director
Traci Green, PhD, MSc
Contact
Heather Wunschel
Administrative Coordinator
hwunschel@lifespan.org
401-793-4785
The Administrative Core forms the backbone of the COBRE on Opioids and Overdose. The core serves as the central point for all activities of the COBRE on Opioids and Overdose and is integral in providing the scientific leadership and administrative management that will drive the success of the junior investigators and the research cores.
The Administrative Core is responsible for setting and maintaining the tone of the center, providing informal oversight of all COBRE activities to ensure that they represent the Center’s underlying core themes: using research to influence policy and practice and preparing investigators to incorporate vulnerable populations into their clinical and qualitative work.
The Administrative Core is comprised of the Director and Deputy Director, an Executive Committee, Internal Advisory Committee and an External Advisory Committee and several working groups such as MOUD in Corrections, Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department, Opioid Use Disorder Education and Opioid Use Disorder in Genetics.
Objectives of the Administrative Core:
- To establish a leadership team responsible for the advisory activities and oversight of all CORE activities, including executing the Center’s thematic vision and providing administrative and financial support to all COBRE investigators
- To harness the COBRE leadership’s scientific expertise and develop a mentoring program that will successfully support COBRE Project Leaders in achieving research independence
- To collaborate with the External Advisory Committee on conducting formative and summative evaluation of the COBRE, including PI progress, the strength of the mentoring program, the effectiveness and use of the research cores, and the COBREs capacity to become a leading national center on opioids and overdose
- To develop, administer and evaluate a Rhode Island Hospital-funded pilot program that builds on the work of the COBRE Project Leaders and fosters additional COBRE investigators
Services of the Administrative Core:
- Provide administrative support and services to the PI, Project Leaders, Pilot Project Investigators, mentors and all other investigators and faculty associated with the COBRE
- Assist investigators with manuscripts, grant applications and IRB approvals
- Identify funding opportunities
- Provide mentorship to Project Leaders and Pilot Project Investigators
- Assist with the organization of events
- Promote scientific and community collaborations
