Charlottesville Medical Research (CMR) is the newest member of the Alcanza Clinical Research site network. Dr. James Clark has served as principal investigator at CMR for twenty years, and medical director since 2016. In our short interview, Dr. Clark speaks about his passion for clinical research as well as the future role of CMR in creating more inclusive research opportunities.
Q. How did you get started in clinical research?
A. I have always been very interested in discovering new ways to help better manage and prevent medical conditions. After conducting my first clinical trial in 2002, I knew then, that I would make a career of helping the medical field seek out and develop better ways to help patients address their medical needs.
Q. What research experience or achievement at CMR are you most proud of?
A. CMR has been part of bringing dozens of medications, vaccines, and medical devices to market, and knowing that today, someone is doing better because of the work conducted at CMR makes me very proud of the hard work of our entire staff.
Q. Can you share a personal “fun fact” that few people know about you?
A. Though I am known as a button-down-collar executive and physician, my favorite outfit is a pair of khaki shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops walking along any beach anywhere.
Q. What opportunities do you see to create more inclusive research?
A. Research lacks the required inclusivity needed to make true conclusions on the effectiveness of new medical treatments. In order to reach a more diverse population, we need to be more integrated into the lives of those we want to reach. Community events, talks, volunteering, and more of a presence in diverse communities are what is required to truly touch the lives of people around us. CMR looks forward to creating as many of these opportunities so we can be part of every community in the surrounding area. This will allow us to bring our research message out versus expecting everyone to just come to us.
Q. What excites you most about the future of research?
A. The greatest thing about research is that it is a field of constant change. New medications, new prevention, new vaccines, new medical devices, new technology, new ways to conduct clinical trials, and more involvement of diverse populations create the best job in the world. In research, tomorrow will always be different.
Q: What brought CMR to the Alcanza network?
A: I reached out to Carlos Orantes after reading the Coastal Carolina Research Center announcement. The focus on diverse and inclusive research stood out to me as our industry’s biggest unmet need. Charlottesville may not be the first place that comes to mind when considering underrepresented patient populations, but the surrounding counties around Charlottesville have many socio-economically disadvantaged populations, who have a lot to gain from research in healthcare! From the initial meetings through due diligence, we felt an instant connection with the Alcanza team by the way they guided and supported us through the partnership process.
Dr. James Clark, Medical Director
Charlottesville Medical Research
