Building & Sustaining the Workforce to Support Clinical Research As A Care Option

Beth Harper serves as the Workforce Innovation Officer for the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) where she leads ACRP’s Partners in Workforce Advancement (PWA) initiatives aimed at growing, diversifying and enhancing the competency of the clinical research workforce.   Beth received her BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from the University of Texas.

Jennifer Sheller joined Merck in 2017 as an Associate Vice President, Clinical Operations. She is currently the Global Head of Monitoring Excellence, Site Development/Engagement and Trail Diversity. She also serves as an R&D integration lead for biotech acquisitions. Ms Sheller’s background includes a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology, a Master’s of Public Health in epidemiology and graduate coursework in QA/RA and Project Management. She began her career as a CRA and has worked in various roles with increasing responsibility including global program and therapeutic area leadership, functional leadership (trial operations, data management, clinical supplies) as well as serving on the front line for FDA sponsor inspections. Ms Sheller has over 24 years of experience in pharma, biotech and CRO companies in R&D and Medical Affairs