Chris Whalen is president of Research Data & Communication Technologies (RDCT), a benefit corporation he founded in 2004 to provide support for clinical researchers and others working in regions of the world with IT infrastructure challenges. Chris has designed, operated, and supported information and communication technology (ICT) and data management for biomedical research institutions since 1995. 

Under his leadership, RDCT provides consulting services, clinical data management, and validated system management for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID’s) international research collaborations. RDCT also implements ICT infrastructure and managed services to assist the specialized technology and clinical data management needs of field researchers and bioinformaticians. In recent years, RDCT has worked extensively to build public-private partnerships to support the development of bioinformatics capacity and international collaboration platforms in addition to basic infrastructure for research, biobank operations, and clinical data management. 

RDCT’s work in these areas has been recognized twice with the NIH Director’s Award (2016 and 2020) and twice with the NIAID Merit Award (2016 and 2019). Chris serves on the NIH Researcher Authorization System Governance Board, the Internet2 InCommon Community Trust and Assurance Board, and the governance board for Identity Python (IdPy) open-source software development.