Melena Bellin, MD, and Joanne Billings, MD, MPH, have been named Co-Medical Directors of CTSI’s Clinical Translational Research Services (CTRS) core.
In this role, they will collaborate with CTRS managers and leaders to grow CTRS and support its teams, which provide a wide range of clinical and translational research services and expert consultations.
Since 2019, Dr. Bellin has been serving as a CTRS Medical Advisor and a member of our Executive Leadership Team. Joanne has led PI Primer — a virtual workshop for PIs conducting research studies with human participants.
About Dr. Melena Bellin
As Co-Medical Director of CTSI’s CTRS core, Dr. Bellin will collaborate with CTRS managers and leaders to grow CTRS services and support its teams, which provide a wide range of clinical and translational research services and expert consultations.
Dr. Bellin will work closely with the Clinical Research Support Center (CRSC) and the Research Preparation Group (RPG) to provide customized support to investigators navigating the research environment, to facilitate success of clinical research at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Bellin is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, with a joint appointment in Surgery. She also serves as a faculty member with the PhD Program in Integrative Biology and Physiology.
Dr. Bellin’s research focus is islet transplantation — transplantation of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas — for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and patients whose pancreas has been removed to treat severe chronic pancreatitis.
Dr. Bellin received her MD from the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she also completed her pediatric residency and pediatric endocrine fellowship training. She is a graduate of CTSI’s K-R01 Transition to Independence career development program.
About Dr. Joanne Billings
As Co-Medical Director of CTSI’s CTRS core, Dr. Billings will collaborate with CTRS managers and leaders to grow CTRS and support its teams, which provide a wide range of clinical and translational research services and expert consultations. This includes the Clinical Research Support Center (CRSC), the Translational Workforce Development program, and services for regulatory, recruitment, and biospecimen support.
Dr. Billings is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (PACCS). She holds a leadership role with the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) as an associate vice president for research integrity and compliance. Prior to that, she served as IRB lead chair for several years.
Dr. Billings' primary research and clinical work focuses on people with cystic fibrosis. She oversees the PACCS Division clinical research program.
Dr. Billings received her MD at Rush Presbyterian University Medical College, and completed her residency and fellowship training at the University of Minnesota. She received her MPH in Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.