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 Success 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 Success 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 joined 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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