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It’s thanks to Auckland being such a small world that Dr Tori Middlemiss joined the Optimal team recently as a research doctor.
Dr Tori and her family arrived in New Zealand last year from Hong Kong, where Tori was a Medical Doctor for International SOS. A conversation with a parent on the sidelines at a school hockey game led to an introduction to Optimal Clinical Trials who had a position open for a research doctor (also known as an Investigator).
Dr Tori is now working part-time at Optimal across a range of clinical studies including research into a Maternal RSV vaccine, a treatment for Low Libido and a gut bacteria Autism study. She is also working part-time at Auckland Regional Public Health as a Covid Response Team Leader.
“It’s a really positive way to find the right organisation for you when you are relatively new to a country” says Tori. “The benefit is that the person doing the introduction has a feeling that you’d be a good match. Before I joined Optimal, I knew that they had high credibility within their industry and were involved in a wide range of studies that make a real difference in the world of medicine. The bonus was joining an awesome team of friendly, super-helpful people who work together to provide the very best experience for patients.”
What is the role of an Investigator in Clinical Research?
Our volunteers will know their Research doctor or Investigator as their key medical point of contact who they meet with through the screening and consenting process and who performs all the medical checks and health monitoring. Their Investigator is always there to answer any questions or allay concerns that volunteers may have throughout the trial. However, a Clinical Trial Investigator also has wider responsibilities from the planning to the execution of a clinical study. At Optimal, Investigators are always medically qualified Doctors, and their role is to ensure Good Clinical Practice as well as responsibility for protecting the rights, safety, and welfare of volunteers in the studies they conduct.
Want to meet more of our team? Read about Research Nurse, Angel and new Sub Investigator, Dr Arna Letica.