Dr. Lunning helps lead clinical research under new title

Matthew Lunning, DO, has been named assistant vice chancellor for clinical research.

For the last three years, Dr. Lunning has served as the medical director of the UNMC Clinical Research Center. As the assistant vice chancellor for clinical research, Dr. Lunning continues to report to Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research Chris Kratochvil, MD. He will work closely with Director of Clinical Research Operations LuAnn Larson and Clinical Research Manager Katie Penas, as well as leaders of clinical research units across UNMC.  

With this new title, Dr. Lunning will continue to oversee clinical research resources, including the clinical research center and the clinical research unit developed for the conduct of trials for persons with highly infectious diseases, updates in the clinical trials management system, the combined electronic health record access and the Nebraska Biobank. He also will assist in the recruitment of new faculty, pilot grant reviews, research education including the clinical research symposium for all clinical fellows, research policy development and streamlining clinical research processes.

"Dr. Lunning has contributed significantly to the growth in clinical research on campus as well as the expansion of clinical research infrastructure," Dr. Kratochvil said. "His appointment as assistant vice chancellor for clinical research is a recognition of his exceptional work to date, as well as his key role in our leadership team moving into the future."  

"Dr. Lunning played a key role in managing the biosecurity consequences of face-to-face clinical research during the pandemic, developing remote and electronic options for the conduct of research, and in implementing UNMC's clinical trial management system. He recognizes clinical research at UNMC as a dynamic process with many moving parts, and his impact is already well beyond that of the CRC alone," said Jennifer Larsen, MD, vice chancellor for research.

Dr. Lunning will assist other clinical research program leaders across UNMC, including Apar Ganti, MD, director of clinical research for the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, and the associate deans and directors for research of all colleges and institutes. 

Dr. Lunning said, "Supporting clinical research means building the infrastructure that allows an idea to develop into a protocol that can recruit subjects. That one trial can lead to multiple trials if you have the infrastructure to grow and support it."    

Dr. Lunning is the associate vice chair of research and associate professor in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine’s division of oncology and hematology. He has served on the Institutional Review Board since 2014. Prior to becoming a faculty member in 2013, Dr. Lunning completed his internal medicine residency at UNMC, was selected to be chief resident, then completed his fellowship in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where he was selected to be chief hematology fellow. He has served on several National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline committees and was recognized with UNMC's distinguished scientist award in 2019.