MERIT Executive Spotlight is a series featuring executive team members introducing themselves and explaining why they chose to work in the clinical trials industry and at MERIT.
What is your role at MERIT?
As APAC General Manager, I develop and implement strategies and targets for continuous growth and expansion. I focus on establishing and strengthening client and stakeholder relationships. In addition, I lead our team in improving operational efficiency and effectiveness.
What do you like about working at MERIT?
I’m driven by the knowledge that MERIT’s work directly accelerates the path of innovative therapies to patients who need them. When we assess imaging endpoints for a novel drug, we help to validate treatments that could extend lives or offer cures. Every standardized measurement contributes to a regulatory submission that, if successful, means patients will soon have access to a better treatment option.
Why did you get into clinical research?
My motivation for joining the clinical research field was knowing that each protocol executed, each data point verified, and each regulatory standard upheld directly contributes to the evidence needed to bring novel therapies to patients. The opportunity to apply scientific rigor to shorten the distance between breakthrough discovery and patient benefit is why I’ve dedicated my career to clinical research.
What do you do in your free time?
On weekends I enjoy taking walks with my family in beautiful parks, going boating, exploring mysterious ancient towns, and visiting museums and art galleries. I also enjoy playing table tennis with friends and was once the runner-up in a large table tennis competition.
Connect with Dr. Zhang on LinkedIn