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?

I’m Dr. Jeaneen Wallis and I’m a consultant who specializes in Good Clinical Practice Quality Assurance, also called GCP. GCP is our field’s guidance for how to safely and ethically conduct clinical research. I joke and say I'm a "GCP fixer".

People tend to need my help when it’s time to send clinical research reports to the FDA to approve a new drug or therapy. At that point, research teams have often already spent years understanding the science that could lead to a new medicine. But they don’t always know how to get their documentation up to speed for the FDA. That’s where I come in.

What inspired you to enter the field of clinical research?

Early on, I didn’t know about the field of clinical research or that this was a career I could have. I was always interested in science, but I thought that meant I had to become a doctor. Then in college, I got my degree in Science, Technology and Society. I realized that I wanted to work in the space between science and ethics and for me, that means protecting people from bad science.

Today, I want to let young people know, there are jobs for you in the clinical research field and the work can be very fulfilling.

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

A highlight for me was seeing an ad on TV for an arthritis medicine I helped develop. It was so satisfying because developing a new medicine takes a long time -- in this case, I had spent years poring through x-rays, other imaging data and doing quality checks to make sure we were doing good science. 

Some people in the field never get that moment. A lot of us can do our jobs and do them well, and never see a product go to market. So it was special for  me to turn on the TV and see a famous athlete advertising a medicine I helped create.

What does success in clinical research mean to you?

Success in clinical research to me means that the science is applied ethically to improve the quality of life of people in need. This work is more than just a paycheck. I ask myself, is what I’m doing helping people? Am I applying my skills ethically? That’s the whole point.

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

Sometimes the perception of “big pharma” can negatively affect how people see clinical research. I wish more people knew that so many of us are in our jobs to do good science and keep people healthy. I’m a nice person! I also wish people knew about “tiny pharma,” where teams work extra hard to keep medicine development safe and on time. Doesn’t matter if it’s 20 people or 2,000 running a trial -- the regulations and expectations are the same. I love helping the little guy.

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

I think of my grandmother, who almost died in a hospital during childbirth and had serious complications afterward. Sadly her story is not unusual. A lot of Black women today have higher rates of birth complications and maternal mortality. These are issues that wear you down over time. It’s what motivates me to stay in the game and contribute back, to make sure that medicine is ethical and of the highest quality. I am motivated to do what I do to improve medical outcomes and quality of treatment for all people of color.