Lauren Zajac, MPA, CRA

Lauren Zajac, MPA, a certified research administrator, is the associate vice president for research administration for the University of Arizona Health Sciences. She works to develop highly impactful and sustainable administration research services, tools and strategies consistent with UArizona Health Sciences-sponsored research goals.

Prior to joining the UArizona Health Sciences, Zajac held several positions with the University of Chicago, including executive director, pre-and post-award management, in the Department of Medicine; director of sponsored programs; senior manager of contracts; and grants and contracts manager in University Research Administration. She also was research administrator with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at Northwestern University.

She is a member of the National Council of University Research Administration and has served as a study section member for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Zajac earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science, graduating cum laude, with highest distinction, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also completed the Executive Program for Emerging Leaders at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and completed her Master of Public Administration degree at Arizona State University.