"So, What do you do?"

Sometimes people ask me, "So what is it that you do at work?  What is a clinical research coordinator?"  In conversation, it's often somewhat difficult to give a good explanation of what it is that I do, mostly because I think people want to hear about it in about one sentance and I simply can't break it down that quickly.  My answer usually goes something like this...  "I coordinate and facilitate all sorts of things so that those who are interested in doing research can even if they have busy lives (Doctors, students, and professors)."

SO- if there's any of you interested in knowing what Natalie does at her job through photos and a little more detail... read on!

I assist researchers in planning for and carrying out their studies and each study has me doing very different things!  Over the summer, I assisted on a project that four medical students wanted to accomplish about the reliability of medical students using palpatory skills to make diagnosis concerning assymmetries of the human pelvis.

So, I went to their meetings and listened to everything that they wanted to do and then got busy.

Take the following image, for example.  Here are two of our medical student researchers working on data processing during the data collection phase of the study this summer.   
Prior to this phase of the study, I:

Ordered four new laptops and installed the software they would need on each of them,

ordered a jump drive for each of the students to be able to transfer their data,

set up data bases on each computer and laptop for the data to be stored in an organized fashion when collected,
created a power point and presented it to the students to teach them how to use the equipment they would be using during data collection,

created and printed out the help sheets you see on the table,

created the ID bracelets they are wearing, and

calibrated the simulated human pelvic models you see behind them.

Here's another shot of the pelvic models with my co-worker, Ken.  He and I spend a lot of time with these things. They started out as research prototypes and now they're being mainstreamed into the academic arena to help train medical students with their palpatory skills.
Ken and I have proctored those tests over the past two years.

We hired two undergraduate students to assist with the summer research project and I trained both of them on their responsibilities with the study and taught them how to store data on the databases and forms that I created.  Here's one of them at the computer running the 2D and 3D imaging cameras that we have in this room while the student researcher makes his diagnosis about the covered human pelvic model.

Me and Allison

The student researchers wanted to work with pelvic models first and then advance to human subjects, so I recruited, screened, scheduled (and rescheduled) 60 human subjects.

 It was also decided that an ATSU tee shirt and a pair of shorts would be given to each subject, so I researched pricing for those on the internet, designed a logo, and ordered clothing.

We often times get group photos of everyone that worked on a research project.
So, here we are- the student summer research group and ATSU research support staff.

Here are photos from another study that we're just beginning on women with chronic low back pain! We are doing this study in conjunction with a research team at the ATSU Mesa, AZ location.  

So I got to go on a work trip to Arizona in October with five of my co-workers

to train the Mesa research team on the equipment and protocol for this study.

Most of these photos are of the researchers going through the study protocol with me acting as a subject for them to practice on. This study will require that I, and a research coordinator in Mesa, recruit 120 women.  That's the biggest study I've been assigned to. 

So, take a look at this photo below. 

Anything special going on here? Well, yes! What you see in this photo is two very busy individuals who's schedules were aligned to be in the same place at the same time (One of them being a physician in the state of Colorado and the other a professor in Arizona). 

There's equipment that was ordered, tested, and transferred to the Mesa site, 

a research lab that was scheduled, 

and computers that were set up with printer and internet access on foreign servers.

This picture actually took me a lot of work, despite my relaxed disposition!    

I thought it was rather comical when they put an actual spine over the top of mine as they were discussing different bony landmarks that they would palpate during their examinations!

Training a student technician again on storing and transferring data across campus networks securely.

Now, here's day 2 in Mesa where we went over the surface electromyography (sEMG) set up and activities that the subjects will do for this study.

Getting all wired in.

 I had 14 electrodes put on my back and buttock muscles and goniometers on my knees.

Then, I practiced doing simple exercises that the subjects will do while the researchers tracked the data on the computers you see in this photo.

One thing I love about my job is the variety. In addition to doing research studies, we get to be involved in promotional activities like research symposiums and continuing medical education courses.

Here's some of the research support staff at the last research symposium that the school put on in October this year. I manned the registration table and helped with take down of the event. I somewhat feel like I have a celebrity in this photo because the President of the medical school, President Jack Magruder, is in it (white haired gentlemen standing behind me).

In September, we hosted four OTM fellows, two medical residents, and four physicians from Portugal who came to the University to obtain some continuing medical education credits.  That was interesting to plan for!  We really had no idea just how well (or not well) the Portuguese guests would understand English so I sought out some translators! I actually found four return missionary medical students that could speak Portuguese and scheduled them to be with us throughout the course so we could communicate!

To our surprise, the Portugese gentlemen spoke and understood English fairly well and conversation was relatively easy to make. 

Here we are giving the attendants a tour of the campus.  I spent every chance I could talking with one of the Portuguese guys. In this photo, I was speaking with Edgar about his country.  He told me about the debate going on in Europe right now about standardizing currency across nations and what that would mean for his country. They were all fascinated by our facilities and said you would never find anything that large in Portugal for a medical school.

I was nervous about this presentation because half of my audience spoke Portuguese and the other half spoke English.  I didn't want to go so fast that the Portuguese couldn't understand me, but fast enough that I didn't put the english speakers to sleep.  It went pretty well. :) 

Walking around down town Kirksville on our way to lunch. 

This was a funny experience. We took the Portuguese physicians to a chinese buffet for lunch.  They were appalled that no alcohol was sold there.  They were confused by the buffet style of obtaining food.  They ordered their drinks without ice.  I really enjoyed this relaxed time to chat with them more about their lives and their country. 

...and here's our Continuing Medical Education attendants and the Research Support Staff.

For those of you who read this post all the way to the end, I hope you enjoyed that pictorial glimpse into my occupation.  Putting together this post has made me reflect on just how fun this job is and how many awesome people I've gotten to work with.  It definitely has not so fun, really stressful moments, but overall, it's been a great job that has taught me a lot about coordinating events with lots of people, networking, thinking ahead in great detail, computer skills, technological skills, creative and technical writing skills, etc. etc. 

I figure no matter what occupation I have next in life, it will, to some extent involve coordination.  

It's been a valuable skill to focus on and magnify.  

Lil' This & Lil' That

OCTOBER RECAP

Joe and I played in the annual dodgeball tournament again this year.  

It's a fund raiser for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Club and it's tons of fun. 

Me, getting out... again. 

Every team was supposed to come up with a team name and costumes, since the tournament was held on Halloween weekend.  Our team name was, "Breathe, Stretch, Shake, Let it Go" inspired by the old time Mase song and obviously, we dressed up like white thugs.  

Didn't we pull the look off well (we all being very un-thug, white, Mormon kids)? 

My Home Slice!

Everyone had to sign waivers to play in the tournament and we found out why.  Joe actually got hit in the face with the ball and got a purple and red bruise on his eye from it later that evening.  

Although our team didn't win and Joe got abused, both mine and Joe's names were pulled for door prize drawings.  Our prizes together amounted to $60.00 so we definitely felt like winners!!  

We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on October 26th by going out to dinner at a fancy place in Bevier, Missouri called The Pear Tree.

 I think Joe has only gotten more handsome since I met him five years ago.

(Thanks Des & Danny for the gift certificate that Joe is holding in his hand, 

which made affording this place swallowable!) 

An older woman dining with her husband at the table next to us offered to take our photo.  She then asked, "Is it your anniversary?"  When we replied yes, she told us it was her anniversary that day too only she had her husband were celebrating number 43!  She said, "His Mother never thought we would make it this far, but look at us now!"  After chatting for a few moments, she asked if she could take our photo with her camera as well so she could remember the little couple she met in Missouri who shared her anniversary (They were visiting from Florida).  

It was fun to meet them and see how much they still smiled at each other after 43 years. 

My Mom sent Joe and I a beautiful bouquet of flowers for our anniversary.  The bouquet contained 5 huge gerber daisies... my favorite!! My Mom is so thoughtful. I took lots of pictures of the flowers so I could continue to enjoy them after they passed away.

 We just finished up another season of ATSU intramural football!  This is one of mine and Joe's favorite sports to play together.  We both LOVE flag football! 

 The school photographer came out to snap some photos one day and 

got some pretty cool action photos.

One of my main responsibilities on offense was to chase after the quarter back.  

I get such a thrill sacking the quarterback or blocking his throw. 

Joe's out to get 'em. 

I'm sad the season is over, but thankful we had such beautiful fall weather here in Missouri this year so we could play every Saturday for nearly two months.  

One big change that came for me in October was I got released from working in the youth organization at church.  Therefore, I will no longer be hanging out as much with these beautiful young people, whom I came to know well and love over the last two years.  

Bishop felt that instead of being in the young women's presidency,

 I aught to give the relief society presidency a try.  So, I have accepted a calling to serve the Lord by way of serving the women of my ward now (counselor over additional relief society meetings).  

I went to my first relief society training meeting at our stake center in Nauvoo this weekend with the Presidency. Boy, was it helpful for a girl that really has not been in relief society very much at all.  I feel like I have a lot to learn and that's one reason I'm grateful to have this new calling.  It's going to help me grow and learn by leaning on the Lord a little more (once again) to teach me all things that I should do.  

Here we are, the relief society presidency (+ a few other fine friends), in front of the Nauvoo temple. 

Yeah, they're going to be a fun group to work with! 

 Nicole. What a hoot!