Nyssa Towsley, MS, CIP (they/she)

Assistant Director, IRB
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Nyssa Towsley, MS, CIP (they/she) currently serves as the Assistant Director, IRB at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Nyssa is a Certified IRB Professional (CIP) and holds a master’s degree in Research Administration from Johns Hopkins University. Nyssa has presented nationally on topics related to IRBs and human research protections, including sessions on strategies for successfully recruiting diverse IRB membership, methods for designing engaging and effective HRPP training, and informed consent.

In their current role, Nyssa manages a team of HRPP professionals, as well as overseeing or contributing to key strategic initiatives within UNLV’s HRPP, including maintaining AAHRPP accreditation, managing education and outreach initiatives, and revising and authoring policy. Previously, Nyssa served as the Education & Outreach Manager with the Virginia Commonwealth University HRPP. They have also served as an IRB Analyst and Clinical Research Coordinator at different times during their tenure at VCU.

In their spare time, Nyssa enjoys embroidery, spending time outdoors, and listening to audiobooks. They live in Portland, OR with their spouse, a middle-aged but still rambunctious rescue beagle/hound mix, and a loving rescue cat of indeterminate age and mysterious origin.

Poster(s):

• 6 - What to Expect When You Don’t Know If You’re Expecting: Best Practices for Discussing Pregnancy Status and Testing with LGBTQIA+ Individuals

• 45 - Revising the IRB Submission Form: Lessons Learned From the Design Process