A Success Story in Clinical Research

In Their Own Words: Clinical Researchers Share Their Career Experience

Jennifer H.
IRB Panel Manager
Research Compliance Office
Private University

A former preschool teacher loves working with brilliant researchers and advocating for research participants.

Since 2008, Jennifer H. has been an IRB Panel Manager at a Private University where she supports the researchers and members of this university's eight independent review boards (IRB). And she loves her job.

What does she do?
Jennifer coordinates monthly panel meetings to ensure they run efficiently. Reviewing 80 to 90 protocols a month keeps her busy, too. In addition, she educates researchers and IRB members about all their regulatory obligations. It's her responsibility to provide the information and resources to ensure that the university affiliates conduct research in compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations. And what a rewarding responsibility it is.

"It gives me great pleasure to work with some of the most brilliant minds in medical research to advance science while also protecting the study participants without whom these studies could not be done,” says Jennifer.

Her career journey.
Jennifer's path to her present situation took a few turns along the way, but always in the direction of service to people. With a BS in Elementary Education, she started out as preschool teacher and then as a residential counselor to developmentally disabled adults. "The most rewarding aspect of my counseling work was arranging medical services on behalf of the residents and acting as their advocate during medical appointments,” she recalls. "This contact with medical community encouraged my interest in medicine and, by extension, clinical research.” Before becoming a IRB Panel manager at the private university, Jennifer spent 10 years as clinical research coordinator at both academic and non-academic research sites.

Jennifer's advice to aspiring clinical researchers?
Stay flexible and open to new opportunities. "Keeping an open mind about my eventual destination allowed me to gain experiences I may not have had if I had a rigid view of where the road would eventually take me,” she says.

• Social skills. " Working in clinical research involves a lot of human interaction, with a healthy dose of diplomacy.”
• Sharp memory. "An ability to recall pertinent information. or where it can be found in the regulation or the study-specific protocol, is key.”
• Desire to help humankind. "When I look back on my career history, there is clearly a theme of service to fellow human beings.”--

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