MERIT Employee Spotlight is a series featuring team members introducing themselves, outlining their role at MERIT, and explaining why they chose to work in the clinical trials industry.
What is your role at MERIT?
As a Project Manager at MERIT, I oversee and provide support on a vast array of clinical trials in various therapeutic areas. I provide Sponsors with a VIP experience from study startup to study closeout.
What do you like about working at MERIT?
There are so many reasons why I love working at MERIT. I work with a team of knowledgeable and supportive colleagues. I enjoy interacting with Sponsors and strive to provide excellent service. I love how the variety of tasks and daily problem-solving challenges me. I’m passionate about learning and that’s a constant in clinical trials. MERIT allows me to grow, which is one of the best parts of my job. Having the flexibility to work remotely has also been a game changer.
How do you see your position/department fitting in to the company as a whole?
Being a Project Manager means interacting daily with many departments at MERIT as well as Sponsors, CROs, and sites. We work as a collective team to make sure that trials run as smoothly as possible and meet study timelines. We provide our clients and Sponsors with above-and-beyond services to ensure a positive experience with MERIT. Consistent communication, prompt responses, and resolving issues quickly are just a few of our keys to success.
Why did you get into clinical research?
I have been in the Ophthalmology field for 24 years. I was a volunteer firefighter for 5 years after I graduated high school. Firefighters are also medical first responders, and I fell in love with going on medical calls and providing patient care. I started college not exactly knowing where my career path would lead me, but I quickly decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. After college, I fell into the field of ophthalmology and the rest is history. I started off as a technician, then worked as an ophthalmic clinical trials research technician, and that grew into the role of study coordinator. I’m very blessed to have become a PM with MERIT, continuing to grow and flourish in my career.
What do you do in your free time?
I reside in Michigan, and I love spending time with my family. I have two Irish Setters, who are 6 months old (Porter and Amber) and full of boundless energy. I enjoy reading, cross stitching, and cooking. I am trying to complete a half marathon in every state (so far I have 28) and have also completed two full marathons. I love to travel and what better way to see the states!
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