Clinical research associates earn top honors at PharmaTimes’ industry competition
WILMINGTON, N.C. (November 18, 2013) – Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) today announced that company clinical research associates (CRAs) earned recognition as top CRAs at the annual PharmaTimes U.S. Clinical Researcher of the Year competition.
Rebecca York, a senior CRA based in Austin, Texas, won the gold award in the New Clinical Research Associate category, which recognizes researchers with up to four years of experience. She was among 64 finalists across multiple categories to face a series of competency-based challenges and was rewarded for her knowledge, skills and expertise by a panel of biopharmaceutical industry judges. PPD’s Kelly Little, a CRA based in San Diego, won the bronze award in the new CRA category.
“Rebecca and Kelly exemplify the high caliber of CRAs that PPD deploys on client studies,” said Donna Hellsten, PPD vice president of clinical development in North America. “They embody the expertise, dedication and commitment to excellence that PPD clients expect. Our skilled CRAs ensure PPD delivers performance, quality and value to study sites around the world.”
PPD prepares CRAs to monitor clinical trials with its industry-leading clinical foundation program that utilizes PPD® 3D, an award-winning, virtual learning environment for collaborative, instructor-led and self-directed training. Online, participants simulate clinical monitoring activities, including protocol review, regulatory document review, informed consent monitoring, investigational product accountability and documenting monitoring tasks and communication with the trial site.
The PharmaTimes competition offers clinical researchers the opportunity to benchmark their skills against industry peers. The challenge has three phases, including a preliminary multiple-choice exam followed by essay questions for those advancing to the second round. For the finals, CRAs are presented a real-world scenario and given one hour to prepare a response for a panel of judges. Winners are determined by their answers to follow-up questions that assess their knowledge, innovation, creativity and ability to collaborate.
“It was an honor to receive this award on behalf of all CRAs at PPD,” York said. “PPD’s learning and development programs prepared me for this rigorous competition, and this recognition underscores PPD’s leadership in training and commitment to providing the best support for clients’ clinical research programs.”
PharmaTimes established the Clinical Researcher of the Year competition, with events held in the United States and London each year, to recognize and encourage outstanding clinical research professionals. At PharmaTimes’ London competitions, a PPD CRA was named the 2013 Clinical Research Associate of the Year, and a team of PPD researchers was honored as the 2012 Clinical Team of the Year.
About PPD
PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development, lifecycle management and laboratory services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 46 countries and more than 13,000 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a commitment to quality to help clients and partners accelerate the delivery of safe and effective therapeutics and maximize the returns on their R&D investments. For more information, visit www.ppdi.com.
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