Creating a pipeline of clinical research professionals to improve cancer care

Clinical research is critical for getting promising new drugs and devices to patients, but its success depends on a workforce of dedicated professionals. Unfortunately, the field is severely understaffed. A 2023 analysis showed that for every experienced clinical research coordinator seeking work, there are 7 jobs posted. For clinical research nurses, the ratio is 1:10, and for regulatory affairs professionals, 1:35.

The new Cancer Clinical Research Professionals (CCRP) program aims to tackle this workforce shortage by helping people of diverse backgrounds be aware of and equipped for job opportunities in biomedicine. The program, which welcomed its inaugural cohort of six interns in June 2024, is the product of a fruitful and growing partnership between the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC), the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement and City Colleges of Chicago.

CCRP is organized as a yearlong program that promotes career awareness, specialized skills and employment in cancer clinical research through internships, academic and community engagement opportunities, and an optional apprenticeship. Participating students receive hands-on training and access to a professional mentorship network to complement their in-class learning. The training pathway is eye-opening for students who hadn’t previously considered clinical research careers and provides valuable opportunities for those who have an interest in the work but no previous experience in the field.

“Many of us who have made a career for ourselves in clinical research were unaware of available career opportunities when we were younger, so we’re committed to educating students about these roles and emphasizing the importance of participating in clinical trials to drive scientific and medical progress," said Lauren Wall, MSc, who had a major role in the conceptualization of this new program as Senior Director of the UCCCC Clinical Trials Support Office (CTSO).

Moving through internship modules

Program leaders Aspen Ward, Senior Education and Training Program Manager for the CTSO, and Camilla Frost-Brewer, MEd, MPP, Director for the UCCCC Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, developed and implemented the yearlong program, which is divided into 3 modules.

Module 1 comprises a 6-week internship — the City Colleges of Chicago Cancer Clinical Research Internship (C5RI) — that includes an introduction to a variety of clinical research careers and learning modules in topics including regulatory management, data management, research coordination and quality assurance. Students also attend professional development workshops and learn about unique clinical research careers from experts from across 17 departments at the University of Chicago and from partners at Fermi National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine.

The summer internship culminates with participation in the UCCCC’s Summer Research Symposium, where students share their work via poster presentations. At this year’s Symposium, students presented to luminaries in the field, including UCCCC Director Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD; U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL); and Director of the National Cancer Institute, W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC.

For many participating students, this internship was their first experience with the intricacies of a career in clinical research. The program was designed not only to build hard skills but to expose the breadth of careers in the clinical research space and the range of candidates who can fill those roles.

“I'm learning a lot because I always viewed clinical trials from just the medical angle," said Sarah Nejjari, who plans to attend medical school. "When we talk about cancer research, the first thing I think about is doctors, scientists and chemists, but there are other departments that are as important as the doctor.”

After their internship, CCRP students move into Module 2, which includes monthly enrichment activities throughout the fall semester. Due to the program’s intentionally small size, these activities can be individualized while also including participation in large, university-wide STEM initiatives, such as the South Side Science Festival.

Those who participate in both Modules 1 and 2 are invited to join Module 3, which is up to a three month apprenticeship at UChicago specifically tailored to student interests and immediate job openings within the cancer center. Successfully completing Module 3 also guarantees an interview for open positions within the CTSO. This clear pathway from intern to working clinical research professional ensures that students can envision themselves in the roles they learn about.

“Being able to tailor the internship to students’ interests is what makes this program especially impactful,” Ward said. “I believe that this program can and will create the future of the cancer clinical research workforce.”

Nurturing a diverse workforce

Another important aim of the program is to create a more diverse clinical research workforce. The partnership with City Colleges of Chicago, which serves students from diverse cultures and backgrounds, ensures the program engages underrepresented minorities. Clinical research professionals that reflect the patient population they serve can help increase diversity in clinical trials. Also, the program prepares these up-and-coming research professionals to recognize and address health disparities present in their own communities.

"I have always considered myself to be a bridge for my community, particularly bridging the language gap by being an interpreter and also doing community work and outreach, but I think the biggest thing that this program allowed me to see was health disparities,” said Eric Espinosa, who is completing a pre-medicine post-baccalaureate program at Malcolm X College. “I think everyone that we have met has touched upon diversity, equity and inclusion or health disparities and the social determinants of health and how that's affecting people's access to healthcare. I think by doing research and being able to address representation of minorities, I feel like it'll help us go a long way with treatments [and] interventions."

Fellow intern Emely Lopez, a student at Malcolm X College studying science with a goal of transferring to a four-year institution, elaborated: "Diversity in the workforce brings different mindsets into the mix, and it brings different viewpoints to clinical research. Clinical research doesn’t just involve interactions with different people — it’s interactions with different cultures, different mindsets and different beliefs. With diversity comes a kind of breaking barriers, which is super important to clinical research."

Sofia Beltran, a student at Malcolm X College studying biology, added, "As somebody that would consider herself Hispanic or Latino, growing up, you only saw a specific group of people in specific job roles, so continuing to grow up and continuing to pursue my interest in science and STEM… I felt like I was a minority within the STEM community. I feel like bringing in diversity and being able to see the level of interest that we all have and passion for it — that's a huge thing, especially for future generations.”

The CCRP’s focus on workforce diversity echoes the NIH’s National Cancer Plan, which includes a national goal of optimizing the workforce to ensure it reflects the breadth of patients that make up the communities it serves. By providing a solid foundation in the many critical facets of clinical research, promoting diversity within the field and inspiring the next generation of cancer research professionals, CCRP does just that.

“With the Comprehensive Cancer Center’s commitment to increasing the diversity of our workforce, we were able to create a timely program that addresses internal and external needs, highlights why inclusivity is critical to how research is conducted, and centers community health and development,” Frost-Brewer said. “Working with the CCRP interns has been one of the greatest honors. Coming from diverse backgrounds, they bring such a wealth of knowledge, experiences and ideas to the field.”