Team Showcase: Meet Pam

Tell us about your work at Winterberry. What’s your role?
I am a Research Admin/Assistant. I support the entire team in Research.

What does a “day in the life” look like for you?
Every day looks a little bit different, but for the most part it’s maintaining a lot of binders (patient files), filing a lot of paperwork, a few spreadsheets to manage, and then a few more binders to take care of for good measure. Research is all about patients and information. Maintaining all the information in the correct manner for each sponsor is critical for the trial outcomes.

What path led you here?
I have a history in Quality Control, both in the construction industry (working in the oil patch in Alberta!) and as a Pharmacovigilance Manager for specialized biologic drug clinics. Patient support programs have very similar tracking and documentation criteria to study/trial work. It was very good preparation for my work here with Winterberry.

Why did you choose Winterberry? What stands out about being part of this team?
Winterberry itself has an amazing reputation among family and friends. When I have told people I am working on the Winterberry team, many people always have such positive comments and feelings associated with the clinic. The Research team — the leadership group in particular — is made up of some incredibly brilliant minds, and it has been a pleasure to support a team that is making such an impact within the Research world as a whole.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favourite part of the job is when people appreciate my self-designated title of “Spreadsheet Queen.” True story.

What’s one thing you’ve learned on the job that surprised you?
I have come to a new appreciation for how challenging it can be to navigate recruiting patients for drug studies, given the sometimes very stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria from the sponsors. I’ve watched members of the team keep working on filling up the rosters, and that can be very tricky. The team has been a surprising group of supportive cheerleaders for each other, keeping the positivity high when finding patients has been hard, and it’s been amazing to watch unfold.

When you’re not working at Winterberry, where might we find you?
I have a lot of different interests and hobbies — movies, books, music, art, fibre crafts. Also dogs. I love all the dogs. Lately though, I’ve been trying to learn the intricacies of how to play Magic: The Gathering.

Just for fun: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
Crazy, random fact: When I was younger, my family and I were flown to New York City where a movie about our family premiered at the United Nations Building. We were flown out for opening night.