Welcome to another installment of our featured member profiles where we will continue to introduce you to more of our members—individuals who work to advance ethical research on a daily basis. In honor of Member Appreciation Month, we will be introducing you to a couple of our members each week. Please read on to learn more about their professional experiences, how membership helps connect them to a larger community, and what goes on behind-the-scenes in their lives!

Today we’d like to introduce you to Regina Drake, senior research protocol analyst at Emory Institutional Review Board (IRB) in Atlanta, GA.

When and why did you join the field?
It was really quite by accident. I opted for an early retirement package when my former employer was bought out by another corporation. Doing temporary work at Emory University in Atlanta, I was sent to the Emory IRB. That was in 2007, and I never left. I am currently a senior analyst on the biomedical team, the facilitator for one of six monthly IRB committee meetings, and a community member/liaison to the Morehouse School of Medicine IRB.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I am interested in the consent process within the context of science. The form is important, but the consent process is vital—how an individual is introduced to the research, the timing, where it occurs, who is involved, the information given, and what other things are going on or scheduled that may contribute to or detract from the exchange. I also enjoy the work of the IRB committee.

What are you reading?
I am currently reading The Politics of Jesus by Dr. Obery Hendricks.

Why did you join PRIM&R?
PRIM&R membership is offered by the Emory IRB to everyone in the department and has been a real fringe benefit.

What is your favorite member benefit?
I enjoy the PRIM&R conferences.  Some of the keynote speakers have been exceptional. There are so many workshops with current and pertinent information in areas of interest to me, such as international research, the consent process, community-engaged research, and research on women.

If you were planning our next conference, who would you select as a keynote speaker?
Dr. Ben Carson.

What do you believe is a key challenge facing the field of research ethics?
Ethical research is a measure of our humanity. To allow the reoccurrence of past research atrocities, or to not pay attention to present disparities, puts us all at risk. This understanding and my faith motivate me to advance ethical research.

Thank you for being part of the membership community and sharing your story, Regina. We hope we can help you keep up with all the new regulations here at PRIM&R! If you’d like to learn more about becoming a member, please visit our website today.