St. Joseph’s celebrates people who provide exceptional care, grow stronger communities and contribute to a healthier world. Today, meet Heather LaPier, a clinical research assistant whose work helps keep clinical research running smoothly for four Lawson research scientists in diabetes and nephrology. She is a liaison among patients, researchers, clinicians, ethicists, regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical companies.
What values or people inspire your work:
I couldn’t ask for better than the physicians and researchers I work with. It’s a true team. We can bring our own ideas and expertise and know that we’re valued. We’re all good at showing appreciation for each other.
Best part of your workday:
Visiting with people receiving dialysis. They have treatment four hours a day, three times a week, so they’re used to talking with physicians and staff and we get to know them really well. They’re honest and funny – and, despite living with a chronic illness, they’re some of the most positive people I’ve ever met.
What one thing do you wish people knew about your work?
Our job is to advocate for patients and protect them, so every study is carefully designed, planned, regulated and monitored. We work to find solutions to patients’ health issues, and that means putting them first.
One big thing people should know is that participants in clinical trials and research studies get extra care and attention. Other patients have regular appointments, maybe every six months, but as a participant in research they’ll have even more frequent monitoring. So even though they’re helping advance medical knowledge generally and there’s no certainty of direct benefit to them from a specific clinical trial, they do have a whole team of people fully involved in their current care. Any time they have a question, they have direct access to an endocrinologist or nephrologist.
Why this work is meaningful to you:
It’s definitely exciting and always interesting. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks – but I never want to lose sight of the fact patients are living longer and better lives because of the work we’re doing. I have a front-row seat when patients come in for visits and tell us a diabetes treatment or a dialysis intervention is making them feel better.
Back-story:
My mom has been a nurse for over 30 years, so I grew up in a home where we talked about health and patient care a lot. We have a shared language. After my university degree, I applied to college for either forensic science or clinical research. I’m so glad clinical research is where I landed.
One other thing: I love learning about the history of the Second World War, specifically naval ships and naval battles. It seems totally random, but I studied it as one of my non-science courses in university. I still find it fascinating.
Well said:
Heather is a true gem – highly skilled, creative, and an outstanding team player who expertly manages multiple research projects and investigators. She has been a game-changer for diabetes, metabolic, and chronic disease research at Lawson Research Institute, supporting everything from qualitative studies to large randomized-controlled trials with innovative designs. Our successes wouldn’t have been possible without her.
- Dr. Kristen Clemens, St. Joseph’s endocrinologist and Lawson Research Institute scientist
