Leading Divisional Needs to Support Research

Christine De Luca is a division administrator for the Division of Cardiology at Feinberg. In her role, she provides administrative support to clinicians and scientists within the Division of Cardiology, including research, faculty affairs and more. 

She completed her bachelor’s in English and education at Loyola University Chicago and her master’s degree in English and education at the University of Illinois Chicago. 

Where is your hometown? 

Sweet home Chicago! I’m from a near-west suburb originally.  I did my undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago and my graduate work at University of Illinois Chicago, so I have been in or around Chicago my whole life. 

What led you to Northwestern? 

I had been working at the University of Chicago as the director of Academic Affairs and Human Resources for the Department of Pediatrics and then moved into an operations role within peds. Northwestern offered an opportunity to focus my administrative skill in one unit. I joined the Division of Rheumatology in 2010 and was fortunate to be paired with outstanding faculty leadership who taught me so much about how to lead a division. 

What are you currently working on?  

My current project is the annual FY27 budget, both at Northwestern Medicine and the university. The budget is a huge administrative undertaking as we work through the clinical productivity and anticipated research funding for the next year.  

We are currently bringing a true bench-to-bedside scientist to Northwestern, and my team and I are working through grants transfers that involve multiple subcontracts and setting up a wet laboratory for this incoming team. 

How does your work support the research enterprise at Feinberg? 

My role is to ensure that principal investigators (PIs) have the support they need to do their research. That means overseeing the administrative operations of the division — for example, research administration, HR functions and budgetary reconciliation and reporting — so that PIs have what they need and can focus on what they do best. 

Why do you enjoy working at Northwestern? 

I have the best colleagues. Every single person I have worked with here has been collaborative and supportive nearly to a fault. It’s so rewarding to work with great people across campus as we support advancements in research. 

This may be unique to division administration, but it’s so rewarding to see faculty progress from fellow to K-awardee, then to R-awardee and see them contribute to research at a national scale.