Meet CTSI Team Member Melanie Couch

Published: April 16, 2025

Melanie Couch

Where were you born?
Miami, FL

Where do you call home?
Wilton Manors, FL

Any pets? What and their names?
We have a loving and energetic 8 year old golden retriever named Bowman.

When did you start at UM?
I originally started working at UM in 2003 right after graduate school. Over the years I left and came back twice for different roles and now feel permanently at home in the CTSI.

What is your current role?
My current position is Research Operations Director, and to name a few of my responsibilities, I am the Quality Assurance / Quality Control Administrator for the CTSI, which means I am responsible for prior approval requests of all CTSI supported human subjects or vertebrate animal projects. I am also the Administrator for the Pilot Program, and I am one of the managers of the Research Compass Tool.

What makes you laugh out loud?
My dog makes me laugh out loud, at least once a day. He is hilarious and so smart and loves to play and be silly.

What are you curious about?
I am curious what my 6 month old daughter will be like in the future; what will her first word be, when will she walk, what will she be like at 5 years old. I can’t wait to find out.

What is the most physically challenging thing you have ever done?
I have never been a very athletic person, but I like feeling healthy and challenging myself. Over the years I have done half marathons, spartan races, CrossFit, and the Dolphin Cancer Challenge (bicycling). They were all hard!

Favorite time of year in Florida and why?
Honestly, I feel fortunate to live in Florida where the sun shines all year. I do love Oct & Nov when its still sunny but we get that break from the brutal summer heat.

What is a place you would like to visit and why?
I would like to go hiking in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The terrain is so different from Florida and I would love to experience that part of the country.

What are you streaming or what are you reading right now?
I don’t watch much tv, I am terrible at finishing a series so I don’t even try anymore. But I am an avid reader and enjoy mostly autobiographies and fiction, typically murder mysteries. I am currently reading a fiction novel titled, Listen for the Lie, by Amy Tintera. So far so good!