Harvard Catalyst Profiles

Delia Wolf Christiani is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Health Policy and Management. She has taught at Harvard since 2010 and currently teaches two courses titled "Responsible Conduct of Research" and "Ethical and Regulatory Issues in Human Research." She is also the Associate Dean for Regulatory Affairs & Research Compliance. In her role as Associate Dean, Dr. Wolf Christiani is responsible for establishing and implementing a comprehensive Human Research Protection Program, developing and implementing policies and procedures and ensuring faculty and institutional regulatory compliance in the areas of human research, animal research, lab safety, bio-safety and research integrity. She serves as the Institutional Official (IO) for all research involving humans, Research Integrity Officer (RIO), as well as Environmental Safety Compliance Officer (ESCO) for Chan School. In addition, she also oversees efforts in international research, including review of institution collaboration agreements and global research ethics training.

She is a nationally recognized speaker and an accomplished teacher who has served as a faculty member at numerous national conferences sponsored by Public Responsibility in Research and Medicine (PRIM&R), the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Program (AAHRPP), among others. She is also a sought-after expert, who has been providing consultation to many institutions in the US, as well as abroad, for the establishment of research compliance programs. She is currently a site visitor of AAHRPP.

Besides her medical degree from her native country, China, Dr. Wolf Christiani earned a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and a law degree (Juris Doctor) from Suffolk University Law School. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Dr. Wolf Christiani also completed a fellowship in Medical Ethics from Harvard Medical School, where she concentrated on ethical issues in conducting clinical research at international sites. As a former clinical researcher, IRB chair and the founding Director for a research Quality Improvement Program (QI Program) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital for more than a decade, Dr. Wolf Christiani has extensive experience in conducting, organizing, developing, and overseeing the full spectrum of clinical research. Her research interests include legal, ethical, and practical issues in conducting and managing clinical research in different countries.