Clinical Research Associate / Research Administrator

Question 1

what important twin studies do you know about specific to psychology

Answer 1

newbauer study
separation of orphaned identical twins and triplets into homes with different economic climates

anything to do with genetic component and ‘risk’ of mental health illness
e.g Sz
9% for 1st degree relative, 27% for children with 2 affected parents and 50% for MZ twins

basic principle that in MZ twins reared in different environments, the % risk of concordance is indicative of the genetic heritability of disorder

• lack of consideration of shared / differences during prenatal environment

Question 1

what important twin studies do you know about

Answer 1

by twinsuk
ultraprocessed foods
identical twins - same nutritional values food but one UP and one whole food
blood sugar and fat level increased, with headaches and not satiated

PREDICT
no one size fits all for dietary advice as even in MZ twins reaction to food groups and same diet is not the same
- variation in blood responses
- MZ only shared 37% of gut bacteria (strangers is 35%)

Question 2

what is the general utility of using twins (i.e Mz vs Dz and the science behind it)

Answer 2

monozygotic = identical - 100% same dna genomes and always the same gender - developed from 1 embryo (fertilisation of one egg by one sperm)
- idea is if something is largely influenced by genetics, you would expect to see similar levels / prevalence in MZ twins (& at the same time reveals the extent of environmental influence)

dizygotic (fraternal) = non-identical - developed from 2 separate embryos (fertilisation of 2 eggs by 2 sperms)

genotype & phenotype
geno - combination of alleles possessed for a specific gene - purely from parents
pheno - combination of individuals observable characteritstics and traits - influenced by ^ & environmental, lifestyle and epigenetics (how env influence gene expression) factors

have to consider the equal environments assumption - assuming that extent to which MZ and DZ twins share the same environments is the same - this may not be the case

Question 3

how will i demonstrate the px always comes first + create a safe and positive experience for them

Answer 3

taking time to listen, read and understand the information provided by participants and their family members both over the phone, email, and in written information.
Should I either be told or get the sense that they are having a more negative experience, or do not feel completely safe, I would urgently flag this to the appropriate team member, as a priority, to demonstrate the patient always comes first.

prev demonstrated in research by flagging data decline to relevant team members and inclusive and safe experience for blind patient in exercise class

Question 4

what is my understanding of the term ‘good clinical practice’

& what is the general purpose of healthcare research?

Answer 4

agreed international standard for conducting clinical research

GCP in research means you will:
protect the rights and safety of patients taking part in research studies
collect reliable research data

(by the NIHR - national institute for health and care research)

purpose: - through evidence-based solutions
* improving health outcomes
* improving patient wellbeing
* impacting health policies

Question 5

what are the administrative duties i have undertaken in chief-pd (currrent role)?

Answer 5

large scale data entry
large scale scanning and uploading of documents into correct folders, marking information onto the correct spreadsheets
collection of data from another site
sending out of studies materials
relaying patient queries to the correct staff member

Question 6

what are the administrative duties i have undertaken in a primary care setting?

Answer 6

use of systmone and outcomes4health (learnt very quickly)
communication to patients, allied health professionals and third party bodies via email, referrals, telephones and post
reporting results, booking appointments, answering queries etc.
some patients were involved in studies so receipt of study documentation

Question 12

describe the chief-pd trial? what have i learnt about clinical research whilst working there?

Answer 12

cholinersterase inhibitors to prevent falls in parkinsons disease
bristol med school - ageing and movement research group

• with PD, experienced a fall within previous year
  largest trial using a novel drug treatment in the uk
  600 participants from 39 uk sites
  on cholinesterase inhibitors through transdermal patches (typically used for ppl with memory problems)

Question 12

manage priorities under pressure

Answer 12

admin & booking for covid clinic alongside regular running of gp with reduced staff

Question 12

what is twins uk?

Answer 12

health study of over 16 000 uk twins

multiple studies at one time

largest uk adults twin registry and most clinically detailed in the world

> 18 y/o

Question 13

any questions?

Answer 13

it mentions in the job spec re flexible working environments - what possible sections of the job are more clinical and less admin i.e adhering to the clinical research practitioner?

what would ‘opportunitiees to develop new research skills’ look like?

if not on the website, do they have a particular research focus now? can they give me an example of a study that is currently being drafted / conducted?

do you get any option to have particular involvement in trials you are especially interested? for me it would be determinants of cognitive decline in ageing

anything to do with the psychology of twins i.e outlook, mental health etc.?

Question 13

facts to know about guys and st thomas’ research centre?

Answer 13

1 of 8 accredited health sciences research centres in the uk linked with king’s health partners

number 1 trust for clinical research in london

Question 14

values the post holder requires?

Answer 14

put patients first
take pride in what they do
respect others
strive to be the best
act with integrity (honest and moral)

Question 15

will you be able to acquire and communicate ‘excellent knowledge of current studies’

Answer 15

presentation and critique of screening tool in africa for cognitive deficits in those with HIV
high scoring and deep understanding of the research and the sphere it was in

Question 16

what do you think your daily role would look like?

Answer 16

office based
dynamic and fast-past, able to prioritise a diverse list of tasks throughout the day and willing to switch between jobs

keeping on top of emails, phone calls, sending study materials, appointment and meeting booking

Question 17

what environmental influences can you think of?

Answer 17

gender (DZ)
culture
friend group
educational attainment
mental health
treatment by parents

Question 18

study that 2 of the interviewers were co-authors in

Answer 18

PROMOTE
using prebiotics to target gut microbiome to overcome age-related anabolic resistance

older people cannot use protein to build muscle with the same efficiency young people

one twin protein + prebiotic and other twin just protein - if PP have greater improvement in muscle strength after 12 weeks, suggests modification of microbiome could reduce anabolic resistance

• has this study happened? couldn’t find any follow-ups

other study ‘PROMOTE’ whereby prebiotic supplementation improved cognition in elderly twins

Question 19

why have you applied for this role and how do your qualities fit with this role?

Answer 19

good combination of my previous experience but with exciting new pathways, more responsibility and offers to train and have more than an administrative impact on research

much of the research is interesting to me, particularly the determinants of cognitive decline in normal ageing and recent work such as promote protocol for human gut microbiome as increasingly prevelant but little known about phenomenon

G&ST has very good training opportunities and development & twinsuk is a very diverse research base with many subjects peaking my interest

have worked on a large but focused clinical trial and would like to expand and be involved in a research body with multiple studies at once

Question 20

biggest challenge coming into this role

Answer 20

scientific aspects of the research studies, coming from a predominantly psychological background

however, have a strong ability to read a scientific research paper, doing the neccessary reading to understand it & able to critique and analyse pros and cons

very willing to learn, sports science at undergrad

Question 21

teamwork

Answer 21

in research - dissertations

in healthcare - getting px her medication by end of day - ended in 2 positive reviews

Question 22

integrity

Answer 22

owning up to confidentiality error - early on in job and could have hidden behind superiors

ensured to contact the patient, take accountability, explain the situation and complaints protocol, gave the contact of the PM, px ended up being ok

Question 23

workplace conflict

Answer 23

if unable to sort it myself, discuss sensitively with relevant team leaders and try to sort it at the level the situation occured rather than bringing more people in with escalation

Question 24

important qualities for this role

Answer 24

organisation - dynamic role with many different aspects which may need prioritising throughout the day

attention to detail - data inspection and long periods of concentration required - have experience data cleaning

work independently and have a strong understanding of the research to relay onto patients and relatives

Question 25

different phases of a trial?

Answer 25

phase I - testing phase on a small population
phase II - re-testing on a larger population
phase III - larger population still and comparison to the current market