May 07 2025
NRG Oncology (NRG) recently announced several transitions in the organization’s Protocol Support Committee (PSC) as well as the subcommittees within the PSC umbrella.
Cynthia Licavoli, RN, BSN, MHA, was recently appointed as the PSC’s Committee Chair after previously serving as the Committee’s Vice Chair. Cynthia is a Cancer Research Nurse at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, a member of the Heartland NCORP. Cynthia will be replacing Terry Thomas, MS, CCRC, who has retired. NRG is beyond thankful for the diligent leadership provided by Terry in this role and we wish her a joyous and exciting retirement.
Marissa Weiss, MBA, is assuming the role of Vice Chair for the PSC. Marissa is the Clinical Research Program Manager in the Department of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Cynthia and Marissa will work closely with the current NRG PSC Vice Chair Nancy Fusco, RN, BSN, CCRP on all PSC priorities, including supporting NRG’s efforts in leading the six PSC Subcommittees: Clinical Research Associate (CRA), Clinical Trial Nurse (CTN), Education & Training, Mentorship, Protocol Review and Quality Control/Communication.
Pamela Mason, RN, BSN, CCRP, was named the Vice Chair of the Clinical Trial Nurse (CTN) Subcommittee. Pamela is the Clinical Trial Coordinator at FirstHealth of the Carolinas. Pamela will work alongside Subcommittee Chair Erin McCaig, RN, BSN, and Subcommittee Vice Chair Alison Ivey, RN, MS, OCN, CCRP, in priorities specific to CTN members within NRG. Pamela will be replacing Donna White, RN, BSN, OCN, who previously held this role. We appreciate the hard work that Donna has provided to the PSC and hope she enjoys a wonderful retirement.
Tiffany Elsea, BA, CCRP, assumed the role of Vice Chair of the Clinical Research Associate (CRA) Subcommittee. This role was previously held by Marissa Weiss as she has moved to the PSC Core. Tiffany is the Cancer Research Training Manager at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Tiffany will work alongside Subcommittee Chair Alex Kudryashev, MS, CCRP, in priorities specific to CRA members within NRG. Additionally, Tiffany was named Chair of the PSC’s Protocol Review Subcommittee, replacing Terry Thomas, MS, CCRC. Tiffany previously held the position of Vice Chair for this Subcommittee.
Christina Chesnakov, MPH, was named Vice Chair of the PSC Protocol Review Subcommittee. Christina is the Clinical Research Manager at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In this Subcommittee, Tiffany and Christina will work closely with NRG’s Protocol Development Team to review protocols and major amendments as well as identify potential accrual barriers.
Erin McCaig, RN, BSN, has replaced Donna White, RN, BSN, OCN, as the Chair of the PSC Quality Control & Communications Subcommittee. Erin previously held the position of Vice Chair on this Subcommittee. Erin is the Senior Clinical Research Nurse at Mercy Hospital Springfield, a member of the Cancer Research for the Ozarks NCORP.
Mary Gulzow, CCRP, has assumed the role of Vice Chair of the PSC Quality Control & Communications Subcommittee. Mary is a Program Specialist at CommonSpirit Health.
Erin and Mary will lead the Subcommittee to collaborate with the NRG Oncology Quality Assurance team to identify common audit findings and quality issues; utilize the Mentor Program and PSC educational sessions to resolve compliance and data issues. Additionally, this subcommittee works closely with the NRG Communications Committee to coordinate articles regarding ongoing PSC priorities and educational information regarding trial participation and quality control on NRG trials. The PSC Column is available in the NRG Newsletter each month.
Learn more about the work and purpose of the PSC and its subcommittees by visiting the PSC Committee webpage. NRG looks forward to the continued efforts that stem from the PSC, and we are excited for the perspective and insights of our new leadership.