Our Team
The Teachers College Institutional Review Board (IRB) serves as an oversight committee to protect human participants involved in research. TC IRB aims to ensure that all TC-affiliated research meets the same ethical standards. To learn more about our staff, click on their short biographies posted below:
Meet Our IRB Leadership Team
Myra Luna-Lucero (she/her), Ed.D
Research Compliance Director

Dr. Myra Luna-Lucero is the Research Compliance Director at Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to supporting researchers, she has recently launched an ethics internship program and an extensive transformation of the College’s IRB website. She regularly offers seminars and workshops on research compliance and IRB leadership.
Justin Brown (he/him)
Research Compliance Manager

Justin Brown has worked in various leadership roles for a multitude of institutions over nine years within the IRB, he is eager to push forward the Teachers College research community sharing his wealth of knowledge and embracing the exciting new challenges as the IRB continues to grow!
Yefrenia Henriquez Taveras (she/her)
Quality Assurance & Education Specialist
Astoria Gibson (she/her)
Reliance Agreement Specialist

Astoria Gibson, Reliance Agreement Specialist, is a dedicated professional with a solid educational background. Her expertise in ethics has further fueled her passion for research involving human subjects, driving her ambition for significant growth in this field. Her exceptional critical-thinking skills, meticulous attention to detail, leadership abilities, computer proficiency, and research expertise are valuable assets for investigators involved in multi-site research studies and reliance agreements.
Leslie Wong (she/her)
Research Compliance Analyst

Leslie is the Research Compliance Analyst at the Teachers College IRB. Leslie facilitates ethical conduct of research with human subjects by reviewing IRB submissions, collaborating with researchers to address any gaps or issues, and developing educational initiatives to promote awareness of research compliance standards. She is passionate about working with the Teachers College research community, utilizing her expertise to support researchers as they aim to achieve the highest standards of compliance and integrity. Previously, she worked as an Analyst at the Hunter College HRPP Office and as a Research Assistant at Columbia University Medical Center.
Student Research Compliance Assistants
Brooke Kandel (she/her)
Research Compliance Assistant

Brooke Kandel is a second-year M.A. student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her long term professional goal is to work on both sides of the researcher-practitioner relationship as much as possible. Her research interests are on ethno-religious trauma the Middle Eastern & North African populations, specifically in regards to discrimination, coping, and resilience.
Jordan Snow (she/her)
Research Compliance Assistant

Janice is a first-year Ed.M. student in the Mental Health Counseling program. Her research interests focus on developmental psychology and the impact of socio-cultural factors on mental health. She joined the TC IRB team to build expertise in research methodology and ethical review processes to support rigorous and responsible psychological research.
Janice Chen (she/her)
Research Compliance Assistant

Janice is a first-year Ed.M. student in the Mental Health Counseling program. Her research interests focus on developmental psychology and the impact of socio-cultural factors on mental health. She joined the TC IRB team to build expertise in research methodology and ethical review processes to support rigorous and responsible psychological research.