Clinical Trials Day is May 20^th, celebrating the work of clinical research professionals as they drive the advancement of healthcare through commitment to best practices, pursuit of knowledge, and patient well-being.  

To tell us more about this important day, meet Hope Senechal, Director of Compliance and Quality Assurance. 

Tell us about your role at Calian. 

As Director of Compliance and Quality Assurance for Calian’s Contract Research Organization, my primary role is to provide quality and compliance oversight. As you can imagine, the clinical trials industry is highly regulated, and our clients look to us to guide them through this complex environment. I am responsible for setting up and maintaining a quality management system that promotes regulatory compliance and supports our operations team in service delivery. This includes developing and maintaining controlled documents, conducting internal audits, overseeing vendor qualification, and providing support and guidance to our project teams.  

I also facilitate the preparation for, and hosting of, client audits and regulatory inspections. This involves coordinating with various departments to ensure all necessary documentation and processes are in place, conducting pre-inspection training, and serving as the primary point of contact during the audit or inspection process.  

If I had to choose one thing that gets me out of bed each morning, it’s the daily interactions I have with our internal team. Every success or challenge is an opportunity for us to learn and grow and it’s a pleasure to work with such a collaborative group. I also love to engage in discussions with our clients to understand how we can help them succeed. Their feedback is important for us to be able to continuously improve our processes, procedures and service delivery.  

How does your work support clinical trials across Canada or beyond? 

When trials are conducted properly, it paves the way for better treatments and healthcare solutions globally. A well-run trial ensures that participants are protected, data is accurate, and trial outcomes are scientifically sound, thereby benefiting patients, healthcare professionals and the broader scientific community. By establishing and adhering to strict quality standards, we provide our clients with the necessary framework they require to execute high-quality, well-run clinical trials.  

What is the importance of Clinical Trials Day to your work and to you? 

International Clinical Trials Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of clinical trials as well as recognize the contributions of clinical research volunteers and professionals. It’s a day to reflect and appreciate the incredible efforts of everyone who has contributed to or taken part in a clinical trial. It’s also a reminder of why we do what we do — to hopefully improve patient care through research, make a difference that matters.   

I am fortunate to live in a city that has an active research community, and my family had the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial.  My son volunteered to participate in a clinical trial for a new food allergy treatment. Experiencing the clinical trial process as the parent of a research participant was eye opening. As a clinical research professional, I appreciate a well worded consent form, however, as the mom of a research participant the importance of the consent discussion really hit home. We had a lot of discussions as a family and asked a lot of questions to the research team. While we had a positive experience overall, we had challenges managing the time commitment as well as keeping up with the required documentation. We certainly ask a lot from our research volunteers and recognizing their efforts and contributions on is important.

I encourage everyone to join us in celebrating International Clinical Trials Day and take a moment to connect, learn, discuss, and educate others about the importance of clinical trials and clinical research!     

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I enjoy spending time with my family, walking around our neighbourhood, and sitting on my deck reading a good book. With one child having left the nest this year and the other soon to follow, I am on the hunt for a new hobby. I tried painting and a few crafts and am now considering Lego based on a recommendation from one of my Calian Health colleagues. The Botanical Collection sets are quite amazing!  My daughter also introduced us to a game called “Tapple”, it’s quite competitive and a lot of fun. Any game that has us laughing out loud makes for a fun family game night!