Project Management Strategies for Research Team Members

Managing projects is a detailed and systematic process. Yet, the applications of this process vary across disciplines and teams. This webinar series will introduce how to troubleshoot, forecast, and problem solve using project management in various contexts while considering how these elements impact the work of teams. Each of the four independent sessions will be led by David Vincenti, PMP, a certified project management professional. This series will identify the principles of project management and how to apply templates and skills to your work and experiences in team settings. The last session will feature a panel of guest speakers who utilize successful project management strategies in their respective roles and professions. Those without official training in this area will gain skills and confidence in project management during this series.

Meet the Presenter

David Vincenti, PMP, is a project manager and engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the medical device industry. In his corporate career, the projects he managed led to the successful development and commercialization of medical and diagnostic technologies, integration and divestiture of global businesses, and implementation of job and organization redesign. Vincenti has presented to academic and professional audiences on topics including project management, team leadership, and interview skills, and has been recognized for his work with early-career technical professionals. He holds degrees in materials engineering and technology management from Stevens Institute of Technology and is an adjunct professor of communications and project management.

Meet the Panelists

Sarita Patil, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an assistant physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She is a member of the MGH Food Allergy Center who specializes in the treatment of patients who have food allergies. In 2018, Patil established her laboratory at the Center for Immunological and Inflammatory Diseases at MGH, with a focus on elucidating the allergen-specific humoral response in food allergy. Using allergen-specific B cell multimers, single cell sequencing, recombinant antibodies, and proteomics, her lab works to study the mechanisms of antibody-based tolerance in allergen immunotherapy and modulation of effector cell responses. As a translational researcher, she is involved in clinical trials for food allergy, both at MGH and through the Immune Tolerance Network. Patil also established the Multidisciplinary Adult Eosinophilic Esophagitis clinic, which she continues to administer. Since 2019, she serves as a work plan mentor for the Grant Review and Support Program (GRASP) at Harvard Catalyst.

Brianna Fountain is a clinical research coordinator with the Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. She joined the team in June 2025 after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross with a bachelor of arts in biology and statistics. In her role, she supports multiple clinical studies across a range of phases and has contributed to both study startup and closeout processes. Fountain oversees patient recruitment, coordinates study procedures such as medication ordering and data collection, and serves as a liaison for patients and families throughout their participation. She maintains accurate study documentation, communicates regularly with the IRB, and ensures that all activities align with study protocols and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guideline.

Jannat Gill, BDS, MPH, CCRP, is the research program director for the Department of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She received her master’s degree in public health from New York Medical College. Gill has managed multiple clinical trials from study start-up to closeout.

Tiffany Wang is a clinical research coordinator who works in the Department of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Wang has served as lead and backup in coordinating phase I–IV clinical trials, including observational studies and prospective studies of investigational products. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Session dates

Session 1: Defining the Work
March 18, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
Registration deadline: March 17, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
This session introduces basic project management principles. You will learn the definition of a project, how to manage project scope, and how to draft the baseline of a project while considering how projects can be connected.

Session 2: Creating the Plan
March 20, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
Registration deadline: March 19, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
In this session, you will learn to apply project planning terms and understand how to break a project into manageable parts, sequence tasks, and manage time while considering how these components affect your work and the work of your team members.

Session 3: Finalizing the Plan
March 25, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
Registration deadline: March 24, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
In this session, you will explore project management principles further by calculating risks, managing a process, reviewing a project plan, and forecasting the execution and completion of a project while considering how these elements impact your work and the work of your team members.

Session 4: Panel Discussion
March 27, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
Registration deadline: March 26, 2026 | 12:00pm ET
This final session features a panel discussion with successful project management practitioners. The panelists will share their experiences in their respective roles and professions, and discuss how they engage in project management work within team settings.

Time commitment

One-hour sessions on Zoom.

Audience

This series is designed for team members in the clinical and translational (c/t) workforce who are familiar with project management, but have no formal training. Attendees are welcome to attend on their own or with their team members.

We believe that the research community is strengthened by understanding how a number of factors including gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, religion, national origin, language, disability, and age shape the environment in which we live and work, affect each of our personal identities, and impacts all areas of human health.

Eligibility

There are no eligibility requirements. Prior session attendees have included: faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral fellows, research fellows, project managers, research assistants, research coordinators, medical students, and more.