Eileen Rubin, co-founder of the ARDS Foundation, has served as President and CEO for over two decades. An attorney by profession, Ms. Rubin experienced a life-altering diagnosis in her early 30’s that resulted in a lengthy ICU stay and long road to recovery. Today, she is a well- known advocate for patients and their families serving in a variety of roles to help educate medical professionals and to improve and inform research. Ms. Rubin stresses, “Including the patient and family perspective is critical in medical research to ensure studies are designed from beginning to end with the patient in mind and with objectives focused on concerns, issues and endpoints of importance not only to advance medical research but also to include priorities of patients.” She has served in an advisory capacity for numerous organizations including the American College of Chest Physicians, the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Thoracic Society. She was also the lead investigator for a PCORI Pipeline to Proposal Award. Ms. Rubin is a Patient Stakeholder for the RSI Trial.
Sherman Transou was an active business owner but in 2015 his life was changed when he learned that a virus was attacking his heart. Five months later he joined the growing community of transplant recipients and has embraced this opportunity to inspire and educate others in his community. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for HonorBridge, he is an active advocate and leadership coach. Mr. Transou uses his experience to help research teams effectively connect with patients and their families. Mr. Transou is the Patient Stakeholder for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
Barbara Gould is a COVID intubation and liver transplant survivor and has personalexperience with post ICU syndrome and PTSD. As a retired social worker, Ms. Gouldunderstands the importance of patients’ physical and mental health and has used herexperience to platform the needs of patients and families. She shared, “I strongly believethat medical research saves lives and that patient representation in that process isessential.” Ms. Gould has spoken with the media about her hospitalization with COVID to raise awareness. She currently serves as the Patient Investigator for the University of Colorado Anschutz and the University of Colorado Denver.
Patrick Luther brings a wealth of knowledge to the RSI team as someone who has experience in advising the research enterprise at large, clinical trials in particular, and as a critical care survivor and former paramedic. Professionally, he works in nonprofit public health spaces developing and managing programs and community engaged research projects that address the needs of our most vulnerable while building their agency to take their place within research to change and improve it. His experiences provide
insight into patient communication and troubleshooting for trial implementation. Mr.
Luther is the Patient Stakeholder for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Jasmine McIntosh
is a young adult cancer survivor who is an active advocate in the community. She is passionate about health inequities and supports research that is working to improve outcomes for all patients. Her background in systems and technology is an asset to the RSI Trial. “I believe clinical trial research is important because for me personally, as a two-time cancer survivor with a rare gene, research has allowed me to be on the receiving end of innovative care. I am grateful for that access as not everyone has that same opportunity. Research helps to make it more accessible and to continue the work toward health equity.” Ms. McIntosh is the Patient Stakeholder for the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
