Working as a research assistant in an immunology research lab, Yvonne Gautam learnt what a clinical trial was after being asked to set up a lab for a Phase Two clinical trial. This piqued Yvonne’s interest in clinical trials, so she undertook training with the Association of Regulatory and Clinical Scientists (ARCs) to learn more about how she could pivot towards a career in clinical trials.
After moving to Denmark, Yvonne decided to upskill and study for a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences. After she graduated, she worked as a regulatory affairs professional for a pharmaceutical company dealing with submissions of trials in other countries.
“This really helped me to understand the processes about how trials work, as the regulations across the world are all so different. To get new drugs on the market for patients safely and quickly, countries need to work together and harmonise their processes.”
Yvonne is now a Clinical Trial Coordinator in the Medical Clinical Trials Team at Mater Research. The Medical Clinical Trials team conducts clinical trials of new drugs, including blood cancers and disorders (Haematology), liver disorders (Hepatology), diabetes and metabolic disorders (Endocrinology). Yvonne is responsible for the coordination of studies related to Endocrinology.
“Our team is looking to improve treatments for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, plus other endocrine disorders.”
“In my role, I’m very much a project manager. I do everything from submissions to ethics committees, recruiting participants, to collecting and documenting the study data. I like having a lot of independence and diversity in my role, and I love that I’m always learning.”
“But above all, I really enjoy the patient interactions,”
Yvonne is about to complete venepuncture training to enable her to take blood samples from trial patients.
“We are about to start a ‘first in human’ Phase One trial, which I’ve never done. It will be exciting to start a new trial right from the beginning, from setting it up to seeing it through.”
Hospitals across Australia will soon start being assessed by the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation (AHSSQA) Scheme against the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework, which embeds clinical trials into routine health service provision across Australia.
Yvonne said that the framework is great, as it will encourage everyone from researchers to clinicians to work together to bring new drugs and treatments to market safely and with consistency across the country.
“With clinical trials teams and doctors working together, patients will feel more reassured that the trials are safe, which is the key to participation. This will hopefully lead to better treatments for everyone with Type 2 diabetes.”
Interested in learning more about the activities of the Mater Research Medical Clinical Trials Team? Click here to view their current trials, or contact the team via email on clinical.trials@mater.uq.edu.au
