Daniel Shapiro is the Associate Vice President of Research Compliance for USC. In this capacity, he is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of effective compliance programs arising out of regulatory and policy requirements associated with the conduct of research at USC. This includes risk assessment, policy development, education and training, monitoring, audits, investigations, and corrective action. His substantive areas of focus include individual and institutional conflicts of interest, research misconduct, export controls, research and cybersecurity, FCPA, OFAC, human subjects research, financial administration of sponsored research, radiation safety, institutional biosafety, chemical safety, controlled substances, human and animal subjects research, technology transfer, immigration, and drug-free workplace. Daniel obtained both his BA and JD from the University of Southern California.
Mike Vernick is a partner at Akin, and leads the firm's government contracts group, focusing his practice on the higher education, health care and life sciences sectors. His False Claims Act (FCA) experience extends into all aspects of higher education and United States government funding, including Defense of Department contracting, cost allowability and cybersecurity.
Mike has represented multiple preeminent institutions on allegations of foreign influence over U.S. government funded research, including resolving the first reported FCA case focused on undisclosed researcher ties to a foreign government.
He works with research institutions on Uniform Guidance enforcement and compliance matters and other sponsor regulations and policies addressing the financial, administrative and scientific management of grants and cooperative agreements. His experience includes advising multiple leading institutions on scientific misconduct allegations and investigations. Mike also advises many of the nation's leading research institutions service organizations on conducting international sponsored projects, as well as capacity building and training initiatives.