Meet Our Research Nurses
As patient advocates, their involvement starts early in the process, as they work with the doctors to explain to patients considering a clinical trial the purpose, benefits, and risks of the trial.
Once a patient is in a clinical trial, the research nurse becomes the point person working on the patient's behalf, coordinating communication among the myriad medical personnel providing the patient's care and working with the treating team to manage symptoms and track the patient's tolerance of the treatment. Their overriding concern is assuring that the patient's well being and quality of life are maintained while adhering to the requirements of the protocol.
Sara Simeone, RN, BSN
Research Nurse Manager
Sara Simeone holds a BA from Boston College, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 2002. She has worked at DHMC since 2003, where she joined the Office of Clinical Research in 2007 and became Research Nurse Manager in 2008.
Sara says: "I particularly enjoy the opportunities that this role offers to blend my experiences prior to my nursing training with my chosen profession of nursing in order to facilitate excellent care for people with cancer."
Brian Highhouse, RN, BSN, OCN
Phase I Clinical Trials Program
Brian Highhouse graduated from the University of Delaware in 1989 and began working in the Hematology/Oncology Special Care Unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. In 2005, Brian joined the Office of Clinical Research as a Phase I Research Nurse.
Brian says: "I enjoy assisting patients through the research process, and offering access to treatments that may not be available otherwise, in a safe and efficient manner and with the hope of improved outcomes and quality of life."
Susan Y. Jones, RN, BSN
Phase I Clinical Trials Program
Susan Jones graduated from the University of Virginia School of Nursing in 2002, and joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in 2006, where she worked in the Intensive Care Unit before becoming a Research Nurse at Norris Cotton Cancer Center in 2008.
Susan says: "I enjoy the one-on-one interaction with patients who elect to participate in research studies. Patient safety, wellness, and advocacy are my primary goals, and I try to be a resource for the patients in any way I can to achieve these goals."
Sandra Steel, RN, BSN
Neuro-Oncology Program
Sandra Steel holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia. Through her career, she has worked in hospitals, public health, school nursing, and home health care. Sandra joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in 1985 and worked in inpatient Hematology/Oncology and in the outreach oncology clinic at Alice Peck Day Hospital before becoming a Research Nurse in 2008.
Sandra says: "The strength of those who face a serious illness is enormous. I am awed by the strength I have seen throughout the 30 years of my nursing career. I am proud to be a member of the research team at Norris Cotton Cancer Center, where the treatments generated from ongoing work in science are included in the choices for patients who are facing cancer."
Other Research Nurses On the Team
- Koni Charette, RN - Breast Cancer Program
- Deborah Lindberg, RN, MBA - Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, Prostate & Genitourinary Programs
- Marie Miller, RN - Norris Cotton Cancer Center North in St. Johnsbury
- Susan Morgan, RN - Radiation Oncology
- Kimberly Sleeper, RN, BSN, CPON - Pediatric Cancer Program
- Maureen Stannard, RN, BS, OCN - Gastrointestinal & Pancreatic Cancer Program
Clinical Research Nurses: Dedicated Advocates for Patients on Clinical Trials
When Sara Simeone, RN, talks to a patient about entering a clinical trial, she has one overriding concern: the patient's well-being. "A patient advocate, that's primarily how I describe myself," asserts Simeone, who's one of a special coterie of research nurses at Norris Cotton Cancer Center who manage the care of patients on clinical trials. Read the full story.
