President of NZACRes 2016/2017

I am a New Zealand trained surgeon who spent seven and half years training in the UK and US, including 18 months fulltime basic research at UCLA to complete my MD (Otago). I was introduced to clinical research while a surgical trainee based at Hammersmith Hospital in London. I have continued with this and basic science research since returning to NZ in 1986 as a consultant surgeon at Wellington Hospital. In 1991 I established the Wakefield Clinic (now Wakefield Gastroenterology Centre) in Wellington and in 1996 the Wakefield Gastroenterology Research Institute. Most of my research through the next 20 years has been investigator led clinical and basic science research but in 2011 I became the Managing Director of P3 Research Ltd which now has three sites in Wellington, Tauranga and Hawkes Bay undertaking sponsored clinical research.
NZACRes is a very important Association of those involved in clinical research in NZ and has achieved a great deal since its inception in 2004. It would be my goal to see it grow through greater involvement of both senior and junior medical staff interested and engaged in clinical research. This would strengthen the Association and broaden its scope to include more investigator led research, while at the same time growing the opportunities for sponsored clinical research in NZ.

In 2016 I was elected to the Executive Committee, whereby I took on the role of Secretary for NZACRes. During my time on the NZACRes committee I have been involved in the organisation of the Wellington Regional Meeting and the 2016 conference, coordinated the review of the clinical trial agreements and the development of the Medical Technology agreement. I sit on the working group for the development of our new website, perform numerous administrative duties and support our advocacy and promotion projects.
I have been working within the medical research industry for the past 15 years, both within New Zealand and abroad. I began my career at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, where I established the GMP facility and ran the clinical trials.
I spent a further seven years in the UK, working with numerous pharmaceutical companies in clinical trial management roles. I have enjoyed my time with NZACRes. It has enable me to utilise my skills and remain active in the industry while still undertaking freelance consulting.

I have been working in clinical research since the 1990s coming from a nursing background and later gaining a Masters in health science. I have extensive experience in haematology/bone marrow transplantation having managed the Haematology Clinical Trials unit at Christchurch Hospital for over 20 years. I joined the team at Christchurch Clinical Studies Trust in early 2016 as Operations Manager. I work closely with the Directors, Principal Investigators and Study Coordinators to ensure timely delivery of projects with subject safety and quality of data the highest priority.
I have a passion for clinical research and the opportunities it creates to improve health outcomes.

My name is Marie-Michelle Sullivan. I have more than 25 years of experience in research administration, having worked overseas and in New Zealand.
I am a member of NZACRes and the Society of Research Administrators International. I am presently employed by the University of Otago, Dunedin School of Medicine, where I hold two half-time positions. I am the research administrator for the Gastroenterology Research Unit and administrative assistant for Health Research South. My work experience allows me to have a broad knowledge of all the processes in implementing research trials. I am a strong believer in the importance of training and supporting all staff involved in clinical trials to strengthen the research environment. Thank you for allowing me to share my vast experience in supporting our association and its membership.

I am a CRA at ICON Clinical Research. Originally a pharmacist, I completed my PhD in Pharmacy in 2014; my doctoral studies focused on neuroimaging biomarkers of treatment resistant schizophrenia. I published research articles on topics ranging from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to the endocannabinoid system in addiction and ``party pill`` drug-drug interactions. After a post-doc in California I returned to New Zealand where I now enjoy working in the pharma industry as a CRA and occasional guest lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland.

I am at present an NZACRes executive committee member and I have held this position since 2016 to 2017. During this time I have also been the convener for the2016 conference and I am convener for our 2017 conference. I enjoy both roles and believe with NZACRes representing clinical trials and researchers across New Zealand, it enhances the clinical trials and research environment. I am also involved in strategies going forward and believe that we can grow the clinical trials industry in New Zealand by networking and encouraging those in the clinical trials industry.
I have over 20 years of experience over the phases of drug development from a clinical trials perspective, clinical trials co-ordination plus Ethics review experience. I work in both the public and the private health sectors and my expertise also includes managing industry sponsored trials. My background includes owning Clinical Trials NZ Ltd (formerly Waikato Clinical Research), employing staff who conduct clinical trials and overseas travel to various conferences where data from our site has been presented at international meetings. I believe in NZACRes and I like to encourage excellence in research, reaching out to our members, the wider public, being involved in organising the NZACRes Conference and going forward encouraging NZACRes regional meetings for 2018.

Jane Wylie was originally a Medical Laboratory Scientist, and after raising a family and completing a DipSocSci she returned to work in 2001 as New Zealand Coordinator for an Australasian research consortium into familial breast cancer. In 2006 she moved to clinical trials work for the Haematology Research Unit at Auckland Hospital, acting as Team Leader for several years, and then in 2014 to new trials development and quality management in Cancer Trials New Zealand at the University of Auckland. During this time she obtained a MHSc(Hons) with studies in health law and ethics, research design and cancer therapies. Most recently Jane has been a Research Project Manager at the University of Auckland of studies investigating molecular profiling in blood cancers. Past roles also include a part-time research consultancy facilitating projects across a range of health disciplines (2005-2012) and secondment to the NZ Health Innovation Hub (2012). She currently serves on a Health and Disability Ethics Committee and the Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) established under the Auckland Academic Health Alliance.

John Windsor grew up in the Indian Himalayas, did his surgical training in Auckland and specialist HBP training in Edinburgh. He is an HBP and Upper GI Surgeon at the Auckland City and Mercy Hospitals. He holds a personal chair in Surgery, is Director of Surgical Research, Assistant Director of the national MedTech Centre of Research Excellence and Director of Clinical Trials ANZ. Currently establishing a cross-faculty Centre for Surgical Translational Research. For 30 years he has been active in promoting research and education, especially the training of surgeon scientists. His surgical interests include the management of acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and gastro-oesophageal reflux and cancer. His research includes pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis, the role of toxic mesenteric lymph in critical illness and the mapping and modulation of gastric electrical activity. He has published over 380 peer-reviewed manuscripts, has a GS H-index of 66, over 250 invited lectures and 9 visiting professorships. Has been Secretary General of International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and Chair Section of Academic Surgery in the RACS. Awarded Gluckman Medal for distinguished research contributions at the University of Auckland, the Sir Louis Barnett Medal for distinguished contributions to the RACS and elected Fellow of the American Surgical Association, James IV Association and the Royal Society of New Zealand.