Northwell Health

Christina M. Brennan

Too often, we hear that I found my way into clinical research by chance. This may be the case, but you still chose to stay in that career!

Whatever your path has been to get you to this point, clinical research as a career is a great option, but unfortunately, it is still widely unknown.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on clinical trials, clinical research professionals are generally overlooked as key stakeholders in the research ecosystem.

Perhaps the problem is that this workforce lacks a professional identity. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics does not recognize clinical research as a profession. Together as an industry, we need to change this, or our clinical research workforce will continue to diminish for the generations to come.

For me, like many, my career in clinical research was by chance. I only learned of the opportunities when I was in the cardiology department at Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in NYC.

The clinical research team at the time was part of an established group that was a center of excellence in clinical research. In fact, our Principal Investigators (PI) were often national or global PIs for trials.

I was surrounded by pioneers in the field of interventional cardiology. My mentor, Gary S. Roubin, MD, PhD, was the inventor of the first FDA-approved coronary stent, the GSR II. But did I want to leave a career in medicine that I had worked so hard for so many years to get into? After many conversations with my mentor, I learned that I could still be very academically satisfied and would still not lose the patient contact that I very much desired. And so my path began twenty-four years ago.

I have had the opportunity to be both principal and sub-investigator on trials, roll up my sleeves as a clinical research coordinator, and eventually decide to lead the operations of our clinical research programs. I currently serve as the Senior Vice President, Clinical Research at Northwell Health, NY. Through the years, I have found it imperative to keep current in the industry and partner with organizations to have a seat at the table. I currently serve as the Vice Chair for the Board of Trustees for the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, an organization that advocates for our identity as a profession. I have authored chapters in textbooks, written courses, and presented at numerous scientific and research meetings. I continue to raise awareness about the profession through teaching master's level programs at two NY colleges.

I have had such a rich and rewarding career and was so honored to have been recognized for lifetime achievement in Barcelona, Spain, in November 2023. The Christine Pierre Clinical Trials Lifetime Achievement Award. To be recognized for my significant contributions over the course of my career and my impact on the industry has felt like my greatest achievement.

What about the patient contact that I so desired all those years ago? They are always at the center of why we do what we do. We continue to find ways to hear their voice. They are volunteers helping to find discoveries to build a better tomorrow. Clinical research is more than a job. It is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients and healthcare as a whole. It has been a passion for me, and I am glad I chose this career.