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UNC Researcher Appreciation Week 2024

In celebration of Clinical Trials Day 2024, we are pleased to offer several events and education sessions in appreciation of our dedicated researchers and staff.

Thank you!

UNC Researchers: This week, join us in celebrating the incredible work you do every day.

Session 1: Developmental Support for Children in Clinical Trials

Monday May 20, 2024
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM  

Speaker: Kelly Clark, Therapy Services Manager
UNC Health – Pediatrics

Kelly Clark is a certified child life specialist with over 25 years of experience supporting children, adults, and their families as they navigate new and challenging experiences in community and healthcare settings. Prior to working in the healthcare setting, Kelly was a parent of a hospitalized child and brings this experience to the table both in professional encounters and as co-chair of the NC Children’s Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Board.

Kelly has presented at the local, state, and national level on topics including supporting children and adults with autism, partnering with families, and understanding personal and professional boundaries. Kelly lives in Chapel Hill with her husband Tony, son Sam (18), daughter Kate (9), and dogs Kai and Pickles.

Objectives:

  • Identify opportunities to provide developmentally appropriate preparation for processes and procedures involved in clinical trials.
  • Define the components of the ONE VOICE approach to supporting children and families during clinical trials.
  • Collaborate with available supports to provide patient and family centered care.

REGISTER

Session 2: Introducing Veeva SiteVault and eConsent

Wednesday May 22, 2024
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM  

Speakers: Christina Smith and Charles Robinson
UNC Office of Clinical Research Compliance

Christina Smith is the Director of Clinical Research Informatics in the UNC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, where she oversees support for OnCore, Veeva SiteVault and eConsent, and REDCap. Previously, she held positions at Duke’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Cornell University, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and the American Urological Association. Healthcare is Christina’s second career: she spent more than 10 years in science communications in Washington, D.C., providing executive speechwriting, science writing, public relations, and committee support to several large scientific associations. She is a registered nurse, with a BSN from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and an MHA from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Charles Robinson is the Veeva Application Administrator in Clinical Research Informatics. He has 10 years of experience working with local government; implementing software, performing business analysis, and integrating systems. Before that, he spent 10 years working in higher education at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Objectives:

  • To understand how to set up a study eBinder and manage documents
  • To understand how Study Connect works between sponsors and sites
  • To understand how to manage eConsents

REGISTER

Session 3: Three Techniques in Project Management: setting up the project for success

Thursday May 23, 2024
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM  

Speaker: Allison Ali, Research Administrator
UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases

Allison Ali thinks in terms of tasks. Tie two tasks together; she has a project! She sharpened her skills in real estate project management when she worked for a boutique firm on the Upper East side of New York. She applied the frameworks of project management, self-taught at the time, to establish a workflow to meet deadlines and deliverables whether it was to a magazine editor at Town and Country or to the board of directors of a co-op on Park Avenue. One key takeaway is the importance of taking the time to develop and foster meaningful professional relationships with stakeholders and team members.

Now nestled at UNC School of Medicine, Allison now manages projects for physician-scientists, a different breed altogether. She is also a graduate student pursuing a degree in Masters of Applied Sciences where she just completed a semester in project management. She wishes to share her experience, knowledge, and techniques to help others manage their projects with skill and success.

Objectives:

  • Part 1 will focus on what is project management and highlight some common phases of a project’s lifecycle.
  • Part 2 will discuss some project management tools and software that are helpful in building out a project and collaborating with teams.
  • Part 3 will discuss 3 techniques to use within the project lifecycle to set the project up for success.

REGISTER

NRP Researcher Appreciation Booth

Friday, May 24, 2024
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM  

Location: The Beach Café, Brinkhous Bullitt Building

We hope you can come by to pick up a token of our appreciation. Additionally, some items will be brought to the CTRC and Eastowne Clinics.