Clinical research leader Barbara Lokaitis wins 2024 Toth Award

SIU School of Medicine’s Research Policy Committee has selected Barbara Lokaitis as the Frank J. Toth Award recipient for 2024. It is the highest honor that the school awards to research staff.

Lokaitis (pictured in blue, with colleague Amber Fifer) has been a clinical research professional at SIU School of Medicine for nearly 20 years. She is the Quality Assurance Lead for the Center for Clinical Research (CCR), and reviews all regulatory binders prior to monitor visits, assuring consistency and accuracy across the institution's industry-sponsored research.

During her time at SIU, she has served as the lead clinical research coordinator for SIU Medicine’s Neuroscience Institute, first with the Department of Neurology and then in the Department of Psychiatry.

While Lokaitis served as senior clinical research coordinator for neurology's industry-sponsored research portfolio, it grew to be the institution's largest, bringing in about $900,000 worth of research revenue in FY21. This was more than double the revenue from five years earlier. When the chair of psychiatry reached out to the CCR to help increase its clinical research, Lokaitis was chosen to lead the team. Psychiatry’s industry-sponsored research was more than doubled between FY21 and FY23 through their collective efforts.

Lokaitis is the most senior clinical research coordinator within the center, adept at managing studies, respected by her peers, and always willing to lend a hand to mentor others.

The Toth award honors the memory of Frank J. Toth, who worked for many years as a chemist for the federal Environmental Protection Agency. His work and life in support of health-related science and research inspired this recognition of research personnel (non-faculty) whose work contributes to the research mission of SIU School of Medicine. Dr. Linda Toth, former Associate Dean for Research, established the award.