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 is the Senior Vice President and Head of Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO) at Merck. Since joining Merck in 2017, she has held roles of increasing responsibility within GCTO and the broader Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) organization. Her leadership has spanned global functions including quality, data management, site monitoring, partnerships, and diversity & inclusion, as well as North America Country Operations. Jennifer has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and CRO sectors and has led cross-functional delivery of pivotal R&D programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Public Health (Epidemiology) from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She is also a certified clinical research professional via the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP).