The Duke Kannapolis team manages a wide variety of research projects focusing on the exploration, discovery, and validation of biomarkers that will inform a deeper understanding of health and disease.
Contact our team directly by calling 704-273-5456 or emailing transpop@duke.edu.
Directory
A native of Kannapolis, Ms. Lentz joined Duke CTSI in June 2021 as a clinical research coordinator. She was the lead coordinator for the Project Baseline Health Study at the CTSI's Duke Kannapolis office.
Mr. Chavis joined Duke CTSI to work on the Project Baseline Health Study in Durham, N.C. Prior to joining CTSI, he worked at the Duke Eye Center for 22 years. As a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA), he held several positions throughout his time at the Eye Center which included Visual Fields Technician, Lead Glaucoma Clinic Technician, Lead Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrist, and Surgical Coordinator. He holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from UNC-Chapel Hill.
As a clinical research coordinator, Arlene David works with the OneDukeGen team. David enrolls study participants for the OneDukeGen study, as well as collects and processes blood samples from research participants. She has been with Duke since 2014, having previously worked at the Duke Regional Hospital Laboratory and the MC3- Carolinas Cord Blood Bank.
Julie Eckstrand, RPh
Ms. Eckstrand graduated from Ohio Northern University with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, and completed Pharmacy Residency at the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York. She conducted graduate work at the SUNY Buffalo School of Pharmacy where she was also a Clinical Instructor in Pharmacy Practice. She completed the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 10X10 Program at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), and other graduate coursework in informatics at Stanford. She is a Six Sigma–Black Belt, and a TeamSTEPPS Certified Master Trainer.
Emily Ford joined Duke CTSI in September 2014. As a communicator, she works with the community engagement and study teams based at Duke Kannapolis, the CTSI research site located on the North Carolina Research Campus. She also supports the CTSI Communications infrastructure. She has a background in journalism.
Isabella Grezzi, BSN, RN, is a clinical research nurse coordinator with the OneDukeGen study, an initiative within the Center for Precision Health. Before joining CTSI, Isabella was a clinical nurse in the Duke Heart Center and served as cardiac monitoring champion for her unit.
Brooke Heidenfelder, PhD
Brooke Heidenfelder serves as a Research Program Leader with Duke Kannapolis. She joined Duke CTSI in July 2013. Her work includes overseeing clinical operations and regulatory affairs for the research team based in Durham, N.C.
Ms. Chahnaz A. Kbaisi is from the South of Lebanon. She works for CTSI as a Research Technician II and works closely with analysts in the data group and project teams in Durham.
Carla Kingsbury
Ms. Kingsbury came to Duke CTSI in July 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in human services and psychology from Wingate University. Her previous role was with a healthcare system, where she worked in research specializing in traumatic brain injury. Ms. Kingsbury enjoys working in research because it allows her to meet people in the community and see how the contribution of each individual serves a larger purpose to benefit the community as a whole.