This post is part of Health Wallet's ongoing series, "Meet a Researcher," which is an opportunity to get to know the people hard at work to bring us the future of medicine. Each of these profiles spotlights a clinical researcher who we admire and whose work is critical to advancing medical discovery. 

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What is your job and how would you describe it?

My name is Dr. Eileen Leary and I’m a sleep scientist & epidemiologist. After spending more than 20 years in academic sleep research, I transitioned to pharma in 2020. Now I lead research studies that improve our understanding of sleep disorders and their treatments.

Who or what inspired you to enter the field of clinical research?

I decided when I was 16 that I wanted to work in the field of sleep medicine. It started with an interest in dreams. I kept a dream journal and even went with my mom to a workshop on dream interpretations.

After majoring in psychology in college, I got a job as a sleep technologist. Working nights got old quickly, so I reached out to Dr. William C. Dement, the Founder and Director of the Stanford Sleep Center, for career advice. I was shocked when the “Father of Sleep Medicine” not only responded to my email but offered me a position as his Project Manager.

Bill Dement had a major impact on both professionally and personally. Collaborating with a leader in the field both inspired me and taught me a lot. Today I work in sleep medicine because of the tremendous impact sleep has on public health and safety.

What is one of the most interesting or rewarding projects you've worked on in clinical research?

My team and I recently conducted a study that used some innovative strategies to be responsive to the needs of patients. We started by listening, and consulted with patients and healthcare providers during the design phase to ensure we were capturing relevant information. 

Then we put into practice what we heard. People could participate virtually to ensure we could enroll anyone who qualified, regardless of their location. We also shared the information we were collecting with study participants, giving them four different graphical reports containing their own data that they could share with their doctor. Right now, we’re preparing a summary of the results that will be emailed to every participant, posted online, and shared with patient advocacy groups.

What is one of the greatest challenges you face in clinical research?

It can be extremely difficult to try new things in clinical research. There’s pressure to do things the way they’ve always been done, even when older approaches didn’t work well and there are better methods available. Usually the barriers relate to short timelines coupled with limited resources. On top of that, many people find change uncomfortable. I think it’s important to push against this way of thinking so the field can grow and improve.

What is something you wish more people knew about your work?

Some people think the results of studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies are biased. But regulatory agencies (like the FDA) keep a close eye on what’s happening with these studies, so they are carefully conducted to meet high standards of ethics and rigor. As an additional safeguard, clinical studies usually bring in external experts (scientists, doctors, and patients) to make sure the right information is collected.

When you're having a challenging day, what story or experience keeps you motivated?

I’m really passionate about improving the way research is conducted to ensure we are helping people from all walks of life and empowering patients so they can take an active role in their care.