Pilot Partnership Between Northwestern SPS and Abbott Opens Doors for Regulatory Students
When Öge Gözütok Moore ’25 enrolled in Northwestern’s online MS in Regulatory Compliance (MSRC) program, she expected to deepen her understanding of global regulatory affairs and advance her career. What Moore didn’t anticipate was that her capstone project would directly lead to her first industry role.
Moore’s experience was the result of a pilot partnership between Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS) and Chicago area-based Abbott, one of the world’s largest healthcare companies. The opportunity brought together faculty expertise, student talent, and industry need in a way that benefited everyone and set the stage for future collaborations between students and Abbott.
Making a connection
After collaborating on prior projects with Northwestern undergraduates, Abbott team members saw potential for collaboration with the online MS in Regulatory Compliance program. Abbott was eager to forge purposeful connections with MSRC students, many of whom are mid-career professionals preparing for leadership roles.
The partners identified a pilot capstone project with Abbott for the spring 2025 course, and MSRC faculty director Carol Beirne offered students the chance to apply. Moore, an MSRC student working in a neurology lab at Northwestern University at the time, got the opportunity.
Not your typical capstone project
Over ten weeks, Moore’s task was to help Abbott’s digital health solutions team address a new regulatory challenge, ultimately creating a practical tool that streamlined decision-making for product compliance in multiple markets. “With Professor Beirne, I took the problem from Abbott and translated it into a template,” Moore explained. Using the program’s DMAIC framework—define, measure, analyze, improve, control—Moore worked step-by-step to deliver a usable tool.
The tool filled a real need at Abbott. It included a list of questions needed to consider when registering this type of product, which helped optimize the regulatory feedback obtained from international Abbott regulatory affairs affiliates. The team at Abbott found Moore’s tool highly effective, and its implementation supported the collection of appropriate information throughout the process of determining the global regulatory strategy.
During her capstone, Moore also had the opportunity to engage with key employees at Abbott. Those connections paid off. Moore was hired as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Abbott. There, she joined a growing Northwestern network at the company.
A new role and future collaborations
At the close of her capstone, Moore and faculty director Beirne visited Abbott to present the project outcomes. The presentation was a chance to showcase Moore’s work and to reinforce the value of the partnership with SPS. The fruitful pilot has primed both SPS and Abbott for continued collaborations.
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