CORAL GABLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AlphaNet, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides comprehensive health management services to individuals with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1), has hired seasoned healthcare professional Debbie Waldrop, MSN, RN, CCRC. Waldrop brings over 35 years of relevant experience to the Director of Disease Management and Clinical Research position at AlphaNet and has an extensive background in nursing, clinical research and education.
Waldrop, who is a Registered Nurse and holds a Master of Science in Nursing Administration and Research, is uniquely qualified for her new role as she has worked and also volunteered in the Alpha-1 community for over 25 years. Waldrop has been involved in numerous clinical research studies related to Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and assisted in the development of the first Alpha-1 Patient Education Day during her time as a Board member at the Alpha-1 Association. She has also presented on the subject of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency at conferences nationwide.
Throughout her career, Waldrop, a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, managed Phase I-IV pharmaceutical studies, device studies and various government-sponsored studies (National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)). She served on the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler Institutional Review Board for 16 years and has served on multiple Ethics Committees. She currently serves on the Medical and Scientific Review Committee (MASAC) for the Alpha-1 Foundation and is Chair of the Alpha-1 Foundation Educational Materials Working Group.
“We are pleased to welcome Debbie to the AlphaNet family. Debbie’s extensive clinical research experience and nursing background will prove to be an invaluable asset to the 6000+ Alphas we serve,” AlphaNet President and CEO Robert C. Barrett said.
Prior to joining the AlphaNet team, Waldrop served as the Director of Research at Azalea Orthopedics in Tyler, Texas and also worked as a Nursing Professor, and later Adjunct Professor, at Tyler Junior College. She also served on the faculty of the University of Texas at Tyler College of Nursing and assisted Dr. James M. Stocks at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler for many years.
About Alpha-1
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is one of the most common serious genetic disorders, worldwide and is a leading reason for lung transplantation in adults and liver transplantation among young children. More than 120,000 Americans have the disorder, yet less than 10 percent have been accurately diagnosed. Researchers estimate 20 million Americans are undetected carriers of the Alpha-1 gene and may be at risk.
