Research team members are specially trained to take care of patients while on study. In addition to the duties listed, they also help monitor and manage side effects.
Designing and running a clinical trial requires the skills of many experts. Each team may be set up differently at different sites. Typical team members and their duties include but are not limited to:
Principal Investigator – lead researcher at a study site
- Responsible for the conduct and administration of the clinical trial
- Oversees study recruitment and informed consent process
- Manages research personnel and ensures appropriate training
- Develops protocol concepts
Investigator – helps take care of the participants during a clinical trial.
- Treats participants according to the clinical trial protocol
- Assesses and records how each participant responds to the treatment and the side effects they may have
- Manages each study participant’s care
Research Nurse/Study Coordinator – supports and coordinates the day-to-day activities of a clinical trial
- Educates research personnel, patients, and referring health care providers about the trial
- Communicates regularly with the principal investigator and other members of the research team
- Manages the collection of data throughout the course of a clinical trial
- Assists the principal investigator with the informed consent process, study monitoring, quality assurance, and audits
- Performs clinical assessments according to the study protocol
- Collects the research data
Text adapted from the National Cancer Institute; images provided by Genentech. Reviewed on November 15, 2023.