“When Adriana joined our team as an intern, it was clear from the start that she had tremendous potential,” says Terry Hartman, MPH, MS, CCRC, Director of Research Operations at NC TraCS Institute and former Director of Research at UNC Radiology, Adriana’s former supervisor. “She approached every task with curiosity, dedication, and a strong desire to learn. As her internship came to a close, I recognized not only the value she brought to our team but also an opportunity to grow our group. I asked about her post-graduation plans and was thrilled to learn she was interested in continuing with us. We were fortunate to have her apply\u2014and even more fortunate when she officially joined our team.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
That was four years ago, and since then, Adriana has become an essential member of the clinical research team. Her days are a mix of patient screenings, regulatory work, data entry, specimen collection, IRB applications, and scheduling. \u201cMy favorite part of the job is that it\u2019s always different,\u201d she says. \u201cI never get bored\u2014different studies, different tasks. Every day brings something new.\u201d<\/p>\n
“Adriana brings a rare blend of quiet determination, unwavering work ethic, and genuine warmth to everything she does,” says Markeela Lipscomb, CCRC, UNC Radiology Associate Director, Clinical Research Operations. “I have been fortunate enough to witness Adriana\u2019s growth over the years and from day one, it was clear she is not only incredibly capable but also deeply committed to our patients, our team, and the mission of clinical research. Always ready to lend a hand, she approaches each day with positivity and purpose, making her not only an essential part of our team, but also a joy to work with.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A Career Sparked by Chance<\/strong><\/p>\nInterestingly, clinical research wasn\u2019t always on Adriana\u2019s radar. She originally pursued a career in business management to support her husband\u2019s remodeling business, which she still helps manage on the side. However, her interest in clinical research was sparked years earlier while she was working as a nanny. \u201cThe woman I worked for was in clinical research, and I started hearing about it through her. I didn\u2019t even know it existed before,\u201d she says. That small introduction set her on a completely different\u2014and fulfilling\u2014career path.<\/p>\n
“Adriana is an invaluable member of our team,” says Demsa Jones, BS, CCRC,\u00a0Administrative Director, Clinical Research. “She is consistently one of our top enrollers which speaks volumes about her dedication and efficiency. She is always ahead of the game when it comes to getting tasks completed, setting a high standard for others. On top of that, she has a great sense of humor\u2014always ready with a joke and a smile. \u00a0We are very lucky to have her!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Life Beyond Work<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/09\/fam-225x300.jpg\")
Outside of work, Adriana\u2019s world revolves around her family. She and her husband have been together for 13 years and are raising four kids, ages 18, 17, 10, and 7. Soccer is practically a way of life in their household. \u201cWe\u2019re usually at a game or out on the field,\u201d she says with a smile. \u201cIf not, I\u2019m probably cooking or cleaning\u2014typical mom life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though she describes herself as shy, Adriana admits that once she feels comfortable with people, her personality shines. \u201cAt first, I\u2019m quiet, but once you get to know me, I can\u2019t stop talking. I\u2019ll joke and be really outgoing.\u201d Her best friends would call her funny, strong, and dependable\u2014traits that her colleagues would no doubt agree with.<\/p>\n
A Determined Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen asked what she likes most about herself, Adriana doesn\u2019t hesitate: determination. That drive has carried her through a winding journey\u2014from growing up in Los Angeles and Mexico before settling in Durham, to navigating an early career shift, to balancing work, family, and school. \u201cIf I could give my younger self advice, it would be to focus more. I lost track early on, but once I got older, I started doing things the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n
And if she could choose a superpower? Time manipulation tops the list. \u201cI could have enough time to do everything and not be rushing all the time,\u201d she says, laughing. Until then, she\u2019s more than content balancing her busy days in research and her family\u2019s full calendar.<\/p>\n
For Adriana, life has indeed shown how quickly it can change. Or, as she imagines the title of her autobiography:\u00a0How Life Can Change.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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When you meet Adriana Delgado, Associate Clinical Research Coordinator, you quickly realize two things: she\u2019s incredibly hardworking, and she has a quiet determination that has shaped both her career and her life. Adriana\u2019s path to UNC Radiology began while she was still a student at Durham Tech, working toward her associate\u2019s degree in clinical research. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83776,"featured_media":8267,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[83,91,92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-homepage-news","category-in-the-news","odd"],"acf":[],"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/10\/AE.jpg","featured_image_medium":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/10\/AE-300x225.jpg","featured_image_medium_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/10\/AE-768x576.jpg","featured_image_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/10\/AE-1024x768.jpg","featured_image_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/10\/AE-150x150.jpg","featured_image_alt":"A man is kissing a woman on the cheek. She is wearing a graduation cap and the sign Class of 2025 is hung on the wall above and behind them. ","category_details":[{"name":"Department News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/department-news\/"},{"name":"Homepage News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/homepage-news\/"},{"name":"IN THE NEWS","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/department-news\/in-the-news\/"}],"tag_details":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83776"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8258"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8325,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8258\/revisions\/8325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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When you meet Adriana Delgado, Associate Clinical Research Coordinator, you quickly realize two things: she\u2019s incredibly hardworking, and she has a quiet determination that has shaped both her career and her life.<\/p>\n