After 37 1/2 years of service, LuAnn Larson will retire from UNMC with a legacy of transformative contributions to clinical research.
A registered nurse, Larson was on the front lines of clinical research for much of her tenure. She helped grow and manage UNMC’s Clinical Research Center for 26 years, becoming the nurse manager in 1996 and later the director of Clinical Research Operations in 2017.
During groundbreaking moments, she was the go-to clinical study nurse in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, administering clinical trial drugs to Ebola patients and the first COVID-19 patients. And, for the past three years, she has served as the manager of the Clinical Research Special Project Office for the UNMC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.
“Looking back, I’m most proud of the collaborations with so many investigators and staff and the joint success we’ve had on so many studies,” Larson said. “I didn’t do anything alone. I’m proud of the progress we made in medicine.”
The Norfolk, Nebraska, native joined UNMC in 1988 following work in intensive care units in Nebraska, Kansas and Pennsylvania, as well as a unique yearlong nursing position aboard a cruise ship. Upon returning to her home state, Larson took a position in the adult ICU for a few years before becoming manager of UNMC’s pulmonary research department, working on smoking cessation and asthma studies.
In 1996, she was tapped to start the Clinical Research Center. With no dedicated room to see patients at the time, Larson would wheel a red Craftsman tool chest with study supplies, seeking out empty exam rooms where her investigators could see study participants.
Under her leadership, and the guidance of Jennifer Larsen, MD, and later Chris Kratochvil, MD, the Clinical Research Center, supported by Nebraska Medicine, grew to about 50 employees offering centralized clinical research resources such as space, regulatory support, research coordinator support, budgeting and most recently, invoicing. The research center currently supports more than 600 studies that help translate scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the bedside and into the community.
“LuAnn Larson is one of the smartest and hardest-working people I have ever met in research,” said Rusty McCulloh, MD, associate vice chancellor for clinical research, UNMC. “She is a servant leader and a role model. Her work leading clinical research operations across UNMC and its health system partners has helped countless research teams and benefitted thousands of lives over decades.”
There have been many impactful trials over the years, Larson said, including the med center’s work with Ebola patients in 2014. “It was important work and put UNMC on the map. The infrastructure we had built helped us be successful in that moment.”
The clinical research piece was not initially part of the biocontainment unit’s training. As a result, Larson had never donned and doffed personal protective equipment until administering trial drugs during the Ebola crisis. But that experience led her to form the Special Pathogens Research Response Team, a group of volunteers who train in the biocontainment unit, so they’ll be ready to respond when the need arises.
“I’ve always loved problem-solving, and my career provided those challenges,” she said. “Just when I thought I’d heard it all, the universe would say, ‘Hold my coffee,’ and throw something new my way.”
As a champion of clinical research, Larson emphasized the importance of ethical, patient-centered research. She noted, “Clinical trials are thoughtfully designed with patient safety and scientific integrity at the forefront. They can offer hope when conventional treatments are no longer effective, but participation is always voluntary and entirely the patient’s choice.”
Three years ago, Larson transitioned into a new role, as manager of the Clinical Research Special Projects Office, which allowed her to help kick start such major clinical trials as the Helix Genetic Insights Study and also develop processes that improve efficiencies in research.
Now, she’s gearing up to dive into the adventure of retirement — no alarm clocks, no meetings, just possibilities. “It’s like getting a blank canvas to reinvent yourself, but this time with an open calendar and no deadlines,” she said.
“I’m so proud of how the Clinical Research Center has grown. It’s in great hands, and I can walk away and smile.”
LuAnn was THE face of clinical research for so many years. Her dedication to the field truly transformed clinical research at UNMC. I learned so much from her and would not have been as successful in my own career without her support, guidance, and friendship. I wish her all the best as she moves into the next phase of life.
Luann! I can’t imagine research on this campus without you. Thank you for so many years of service. Wishing you all the best in retirement.
Congrats LuAnn! You deserve nothing but the best retirement!
Congratulations LuAnn. Thank you for all you have done for UNMC!
Congratulations and best wishes to you on your retirement. It was a pleasure getting to know you during your years in research and the communication through the billing and coding world!
Congrats, LuAnn – job well done. Enjoy the next chapter and having no coffee interruptions.
It was great to talk with you in the hallways of the ARS building. Thank you for our conversations and congratulations on your retirement.
Best wishes to you LuAnn, may you have a wonderful, relaxing retirement!
Hope to see you before and after this well deserved milestone, LuAnn! Greatly appreciate all our years of working together!
I welcomed my opportunities to work with LuAnn. I wish you all the best in your retirement!
It was kind of funny over the years. Every time I turned around there was LuAnn, in this role now or launching this new project or advising on that committee. What a legacy. The very best in a well-earned retirement.
Congratulations LuAnn! It has been a honor to work with you in clinical research thru the years. Enjoy Retirement!!!
Congratulations and best wishes to you in retirement, LuAnn!
It is a privilege to call LuAnn a colleague and friend! Best wishes for all of the adventure that retirement will bring!
Congratulations, LuAnn! Thank you for your mentorship and support of my research these many years. Enjoy retirement!
Congratulations, LuAnn, and thank you for your contributions to advancing clinical research at UNMC!
Congratulations on this milestone. I will never forget the diligence and resilience you showed during COVID pandemic and the deluge of studies. Kind regards!
Congratulations, LuAnn! Your dedication and contributions shaped success in clinical research and will continue to inspire the future. You have left a lasting legacy and will be deeply missed!
Congratulations LuAnn! You certainly have a legacy in developing clinical research at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. I wish you a wonderful retirement!
LuAnn: So many contributions you’ve made here. You’re leaving UNMC a better place. Good luck in your next phase.
Congratulations LuAnn! It is hard to imagine you not being part of clinical research at UNMC any longer but I do wish you all the best in your retirement – you deserve it!
Congratulations LuAnn! It has been a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with you over the last few years. Enjoy this next phase!
Congratulations LuAnn!! Your contributions to clinical research at UNMC are monumental. You will be missed. Best wishes in retirement!