Background & Certification

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a group of people who review research as required by federal human subject protection regulations. Some institutions use different names, such as human subject protection committee or ethical review committee.

Ochsner signed an agreement with the federal government known as an Federalwide Assurance (FWA). The Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) within the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) maintains the FWA listings, including the IRBs that are allowed to review research studies at Ochsner. The IRBs are also registered with the FDA at the same DHHS website.

Membership Overview

IRB membership is open to all interested in the ethical review of research that will protect human subjects. Having a larger pool of alternate members helps us meet quorum requirements when regular members are unable to attend and increases awareness of the federal regulations and ethical requirements for research.

IRB training and participation may also help you in your own career or research by being more aware of human subject protection issues and federal regulatory requirements. A broad-based IRB adapts more easily to changing needs and protecting human research subjects.

Member categories include

• Physicians
• Other scientists (such as nurses, pharmacists, or those with other degrees in the sciences)
• Nonscientists (such as lawyers, lay people, those in the liberal arts, and others who have not received major training in scientific method)
• Members who are not affiliated with Ochsner