NCI-sponsored Clinical Trial Research Specialist

ABSTRACT NCI-sponsored clinical trials represent some of the highest priority clinical trials conducted by the UF Health Cancer Center (UFHCC). These trials include participation by patients seen at our center as well as those through our academic research consortium across the entire state of Florida to deliver trial access to where

patients are. The UFHCC is committed to the success of NCI-sponsored clinical trials through robust partnerships with the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) through the Children's Oncology Group (COG), NRG Oncology as well as the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trial Network (ETCTN). This commitment is demonstrated at

multiple levels including, but not limited to, prioritizing investigator participation in NCI-sponsored clinical trials, facilitating rapid and efficient activation, financially subsidizing the costs of trial conduct, supporting faculty to attend meetings serving as content experts/committee members, hosting the COG Statistical and Data Center,

embedding expectations for participation into salary support, and providing a mechanism to allow regional community oncology practices to access trials. My involvement and effort at each of these institutional levels has resulted in improved productivity, efficiency, and impact. These include my leadership as the inaugural UFHCC

Associate Director for Clinical Research (ADCR), Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Group, and Director of the GI Oncology Program. Portfolio priority, oversight and enrollments to the NCI-sponsored clinical trials are a demonstrated institutional priority. Within the NCI-sponsored clinical trial networks, I am also active and provide

impact through administrative leadership. I serve as the NRG Oncology Co-Chair of the GI Committee, Chair of the Colorectal Cancer Subcommittee, and member of the Communications Committee. I also serve as the UFHCC institutional PI to the ETCTN and Yale LAO member. I am personally involved in the NCI peer-review

process by which concepts are evaluated for scientific merit, impact, and feasibility prior to being approved as trials. These reviews occur in the NCI disease-specific Task Forces, specifically, the Esophagogastric, Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic, Neuroendocrine, Colon, and Rectal-Anal Cancer NCI Task Forces as well as trial final

approval as a voting member of the NCI Gastrointestinal Steering Committee. Through these positions and with additional contributions, I have actively and positively influenced the current and future landscape of the NCTN and ETCTN programs, particularly the GI Oncology trial portfolio. My career goals include continued service to

the NCI-sponsored clinical trial networks through leadership, new member engagement and trial development/completion while simultaneously increasing my institutional engagement through expanded trial conduct and expanding the next generation of capable and diverse NCI clinical investigators leveraging my

leadership, experience, mentorship, and sponsorship.