Patricia Gordon, assistant professor of pediatrics, has accepted the positions of chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and director of the Human Subjects Protection Office (HSPO) at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, effective July 1. She replaces Kevin Gleeson, who is stepping down from his roles with the IRB and HSPO to focus on his duties as a division chief in the Department of Medicine.
Gordon, who is board-certified in pediatrics and medical genetics, has been with the Medical Center and College of Medicine since 2005. Since then, she has been a valuable member of the IRB, serving as vice chair of one of the sub-IRB boards.
Gordon came to Penn State Hershey from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she chaired the IRB. In that role, she was known for her regulatory knowledge, her fair-minded interactions with board members and investigators alike, and for her ability to facilitate decisions that balance the needs of scientific investigation with the demands of regulations designed to safeguard research participants.