The field of human subjects protections lost a treasured member last month with the passing of Jerry Castellano, BS, PharmD, CIP, on January 1, 2022. Jerry was a longtime PRIM&R member, beginning with his joining ARENA (the group that would become PRIM&R’s membership arm) in 1996. He would go on to serve the organization both on the ARENA Council and the Council of Certified IRB Professionals. We honored Jerry with the 2018 ARENA Legacy Award, in acknowledgment of this service and his contributions to the field. As we noted at the time of his nomination, “Jerry has both the perspective of investigator and of the IRB on human subjects protections. Dr. Castellano has authored numerous publications and given lectures throughout the country and internationally on a variety of topics; research, research and biomedical ethics, institutional review boards, and conflicts of interest.” Most recently, Jerry was the Corporate Director of the Institutional Review Board at ChristianaCare, in Delaware.

You can read Dr. Castellano’s obituary here. Below, we have gathered words from a few members of the PRIM&R community who knew Jerry well. We welcome your own memories and kind words about Jerry in the comments below.

“When I joined the CITI  Program, Jerry was one of the first individuals to welcome me.  He always provided thoughtful guidance, looking toward the future, and with a gentle and warm manner that was quintessentially Jerry.  I consider it a personal and professional opportunity to have known Jerry, and I will greatly miss seeing him at PRIM&R meetings.”

Jaime A. Arango, EdD, CIP | Vice President, Content and Education, CITI Program

I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Jerry during my time as a Council member and Chair of the CIP Council.  I always appreciated the sage advice and timely counsel that Jerry provided to the entire Council.  Not only did he offer a great historical perspective, Jerry also forecasted great insights into the future of the industry and profession.  This allowed the Council to calibrate its certification strategy to support the needs of current and future members.  While I only saw Jerry in person during Council and PRIM&R meetings, I always looked forward to my chats with him.  Jerry will be missed by all. 

Greg Lim | Human Subjects Protections Program Administrator, The Boeing Company

I admired Jerry for his unique ability to couple subject matter expertise with friendliness and humor. In CIP council meetings that would last for many hours over several days, Jerry brought a positive spirit that helped make the time go quickly. I always looked forward to seeing him at events and he took the time out of his very busy schedule to visit. He would not limit himself to attending large conferences like the AER, but took time to come to local conferences, such as one I hosted. He was a friend and mentor to many of us in the field.

Ross Hickey, J.D., CIP, CPIA | Assistant Provost for Research Integrity, Director Maine Regulatory Training and Ethics Center

Jerry was warm, friendly, and helpful. His easy smile and insights will be missed by many, but especially those of us who got to work with him. He was knowledgeable and kind and always asked about my family—which showed to me how important family was to him and how much he loved his own.

Margaret Rankovic | Director, Content and Education, CITI Program