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Blog written by Yaa Acheampong, Clinical Research Manager - Women’s Health Research
After working clinically as a midwife for 5 years, I felt the urge for a new challenge. Two friends working in research at St George’s Hospital's fetal medicine unit introduced me to the world of research. At the time they were working on the Strider Trial, which looked at the affects Sildenafil (Viagra) at improving growth in babies who were growth restricted in pregnancy. Encouraged by their insights, I eagerly applied for a position within the research team when an opportunity arose and as they say, the rest is history. In my initial role as a research midwife, I took the lead on several studies, ranging from interventional to observational research. My responsibilities included patient screening, recruitment, randomization, as well as data, sample collection and sample processing. The role demanded critical thinking, problem-solving, and I thrived in this environment.
A year into my role as a research midwife, I was ready for yet another challenge. This time, I returned to university to pursue a master’s in public health. The course had a strong research focus and helped enhance my knowledge and skills in designing, planning, and conducting research which was useful for my job. The course also gave a solid foundation in the theory and practice of strategic leadership and change management which proved invaluable in my job. After completing my master's, I transitioned into leadership role in becoming the research lead for the fetal medicine research team.
I currently work as the Clinical Research Manager in Women's Health at University College London Hospital (UCLH). My role is multifaceted and involves overseeing the entire clinical research cycle. This includes managing the operational aspects, facilitating the development and expansion of our women's health research portfolio, and providing leadership to a dedicated team of research professionals. The team consists of research midwives, research nurses, a research assistant, and a data manager- together we work on around 30 studies in obstetrics, gynaecology, and neonatology. I support them in achieving study targets and ensuring the delivery of high-quality research. I also evaluate the performance of our team and submit business cases to secure additional funding to grow our team through the Joint Research Office and Clinical Research Network (CRN). As the first point of contact for academics and clinicians seeking to conduct research in women’s health at UCLH/UCL, I assist with the initial planning stages, feasibility, reviews, regulatory submissions to the Health Research Authority (HRA) and Research Ethics Committee (REC), and handling of finances. In the past year, The Head of Research and I developed the Research Managers Forum, uniting research managers and research leads from UCLH and UCL. Our quarterly meetings revolve around discussions on all aspects of research and promoting multi-disciplinary working.
I am passionate about addressing health inequalities and research helps us to tackle some of these issues. One of the most rewarding aspects of my career in clinical research has been witnessing the tangible impact of the studies I’ve worked on become standard of care. An example is the NIHR-funded PARROT trial, which played a pivotal role in the adoption of Placental Growth Factor (PlGF)-based testing—a blood test that confirms or excludes pre-eclampsia and assesses the risk of pregnancy complications. And most recently the development of treatment and vaccines for COVID-19 which my team worked on.
For anyone contemplating a career in research, my advice is simple: go for it. Speak to your local research team to learn more. Clinical research opens exciting career options, allowing healthcare professionals to leverage their core clinical knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of new evidence and, most importantly, to improve patient care.