Iris Gersten, MS

Senior Project Leader

Why I joined Emmes

Prior to Emmes, I worked 20 years in research, development and clinical testing of new OTC drugs and cosmetics for a Fortune 100 company. When the company left the Washington DC area, I was fortunate to be able to transfer my knowledge and clinical trial experience to transplant studies at Emmes which continue to be an exciting and rewarding challenge for me.

How I describe our firm to other people

I describe Emmes as a CRO that makes significant contributions to solving human health issues, including the current COVID-19 pandemic, and allows its employees a balance between work and family life.

How I chose my career

I loved my AP Chemistry class in high school as it addressed my passion for both math and science. In addition, the class was taught by a strong engaging woman. This led me to select chemistry as my college major. Unbeknownst to me, I was part of the early movement promoting women in STEM.

The best part about working here

The best part of working at Emmes over the past 18 years has been the opportunity to work with leaders in the hematology field while building a project portfolio of 56 trials involving 11,000 patients to date.

My background

While working as a R&D chemist, I obtained a technical management degree designed to prepare scientists and engineers to manage complex technology projects. The degree prepared me to successfully lead a group of 13 scientists in the development of an improved lubricating strip for razors. Other highlights of my career as a chemist include receipt of 14 patents for personal care products and the invention and launch of the Power Stripe series of antiperspirant/deodorant products.

Education

B.S. in chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park
M.S. in technical management, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Selected papers and presentations

Randomized Double-blind Trial of Fluconazole vs Voriconazole for Prevention of Invasive Fungal Infection after Allo Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Fludarabine-based conditioning for marrow transplantation from unrelated donors in severe aplastic anemia: early results of a cyclophosphamide dose deescalation study show life-threatening adverse events at predefined cyclophosphamide dose levels

Cyclophosphamide conditioning in patients with severe aplastic anaemia given unrelated marrow transplantation: A Phase 1-2 dose de-escalation study

Reduced Intensity Conditioning (RIC) with Rituximab Yields Excellent Outcomes after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (alloHCT) for Relapsed Follicular Lymphoma (FL): A Phase II Multicenter Trial from the Blood and Marrow Transplant Network (BMT CTN)

A trial of unrelated donor marrow transplantation for children with severe sickle cell disease

Associated projects