Managing a Legacy of Research: Andrés Carrión ’14

Long before he started managing a multi-year research study on the health impacts that gestational diabetes may have on mothers and children, Andrés Carrión ’14 gained research experience as a psychology major at Dominican University.

Two of his courses, he says, gave him hands-on experience in developing and administering a research survey. This benefited him as he pursued graduate-level study in psychology as well, he says.

“I felt like I was definitely more prepared than some of the other folks in my program,” he said. “I really understood the operations of the research study and understood what it means to conduct ethical research.”

Looking to gain biomedical research experience to support his interest in health equity work, Carrión today is a research project manager at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. He manages a study, now in its 24th year, that examines the relationship between high blood sugar during pregnancy and the blood sugar levels, body fat levels, cardiovascular health, and life expectancy of the now adult offspring.

He is responsible for a myriad of project tasks, from helping field centers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Toronto brainstorm ways to engage more young adults in the study, to processing biomedical samples in a lab, submitting approved documentation to the field centers, and verifying data accuracy.

“It’s rewarding to be part of something that has such a legacy behind it,” Carrión noted.

His Dominican education, too, has created its own lasting legacy in his life. He continues to value the mentorship and training he received from his professors, he said.

“Just being able to go into their office and ask research questions or say, ‘I’m interested in this topic, but I don’t know the best way to go about answering this question’ was important,” Carrión said.