In addition to Dr. Pittas, below are the current team members at Tufts Medical Center that make things happen proudly and efficiently. The team tends to expand in the summer when we host students.
The Current Members
The Current Members
Director of Research AdministrationDanielle Riggs
Danielle received her B.S. in Biology from Stonehill College, and has worked within Research Administration at Tufts Medical Center since 2000. in 2008, she joined the leadership team for the Department of Medicine as the Director of Administration and Finance. She oversees the pre- and post-award administration for all federal, foundation, and industry grants and clinical trials throughout the Department. In this role, she helped to build the budget management model for D2d, and continues to develop and oversee internal systems for monitoring D2d’s complex budget across sites.
Clinical Studies ManagerEllen Vickery, MS
Ellen Vickery oversees clinical research operations in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Tufts Medical Center, w. She brings two decades of experience in clinical research, with expertise spanning protocol development, regulatory oversight, budget management, and team leadership. In her current role, Ms. Vickery manages a growing portfolio of clinical trials and supervises research staff. She also serves as Project Manager for a system-wide clinical research expansion initiative, leading efforts to extend research programs from an academic medical center to affiliated hospitals in the community. Her work focuses on addressing operational, regulatory, and infrastructure considerations to support sustainable program growth. Ms. Vickery is actively involved in research training and mentorship initiatives, including the development of onboarding programs and educational resources for clinical research staff. She contributes to institutional efforts aimed at strengthening research operations and supporting the next generation of research professionals. She received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from New York University and her M.S. in Nutritional Epidemiology from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Clinical Research CoordinatorAshton Hoang
Ashton Hoang received his B.A. in Biology with a concentration in physiology from Emmanuel College in 2026. Prior to joining the team in the Division of Endocrinology, Mr. Hoang worked as an EMT-B at Brewster Ambulance for a year and gained valuable clinical experience working with all types of patients. He also previously worked managing day-to-day waterfront operations at Constitution Beach in East Boston for multiple summers.
Research AdministratorOlivia Lovegreen
Olivia received her B.S. in Health Policy and Management from Providence College and is currently pursuing a MBA degree with a healthcare administration concentration from the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. As an undergraduate, she interned at Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation and Butler Hospital in the Risk Management department. Following graduation, a short stint at the Joslin Diabetes Center fostered her interest in grant management. Olivia began working in the Research Administration department at Tufts Medical Center and spends a good portion of her time managing the D2d budget.
Clinical Research AssociateElise Danico, MS, RD, CBDT
Elise Danico received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her M.S. in Nutrition and Public Health from Simmons University where she also completed her Dietetic Internship. Prior to joining the team, she was a member of the Bone Metabolism Lab at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, where she worked on several studies focused on bone and muscle metabolism in the aging population.
Study AnalystJason Nelson, MPH
Jason received his MPH in biostatistics and epidemiology from Tufts University School. He is currently a statistician in the Biostatistics Research Center in the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies. Since 2007, Jason has provided statistical research support and data management to clinical researchers throughout the Tufts Medical Center community and collaborators at other institutions. His primary research interest includes spatial analysis of geographic information.