Haléna Khan

What is your current role?

I work as a Data Manager at the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit (BCTU) here at the University of Birmingham. I work closely in a team with a trial manager, team leader, programmer and statistician from BCTU and the Chief Investigator and research staff from sites to deliver clinical trials across the UK.

I am currently working on closing the ABA-Feed trial, which investigated the effect of peer support on breastfeeding continuation in new mothers.

I am also working on the ATHENA trial, which is in the recruitment stage, and it is investigating the use of OCT/OCTA testing as alternatives to FFA in diagnosing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

What does a typical day in your role look like?

A typical day can be varied but often involves responding to or escalating queries in the trial inbox. Depending on what the priority is at the time, I also raise and resolve data queries with site staff, draft documents and trial newsletters, set up meetings, write up agendas and minutes, maintain stock and manage the trial master file. As my training increases, I will learn to perform more tasks to better support the trial.

How has your course helped you in your career?

The Biomedical Science programme provided me with a strong foundation of clinical research and its applications. It also provided me with experience in reading and critiquing research papers, which is the main output of clinical trials.