About Us
The New Zealand Association of Clinical Research (NZACRes)
NZACRes is a non-profit scientific educational organisation run by volunteer officers selected from its membership.
OUR GOALS
The objective of NZACRes shall be to promote medical research in New Zealand to improve public health. In particular, NZACRes will:
- Foster clinical research in New Zealand;
- Facilitate the exchange of information amongst members interested in clinical research;
- Provide and foster education and training in clinical research;
- Facilitate communication amongst New Zealand clinical researchers and with other national and international clinical research organisations; and
- Carry out other activities consistent with these charitable purposes.
Our Members
NZACRes membership is open to all those who have an interest in clinical research.
Join NZACRes
Members Include:
- Investigators, Study Coordinators, Physicians, Clinical Research Nurses, University and Hospital based research personnel
- Clinical Research Managers, Clinical Research Associates, Regulatory Specialists and personnel from research institutes
- Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device research personnel
Pharmacists and Laboratory personnel - Health Economists, Biostatisticians and Data Managers
Medical Writers and Industry Consultants
Our Experts
Ruth Lucas
Chairperson
Ruth Lucas is a clinical research professional with over 20 years of experience working within the clinical trials industry. Starting out in the UK Ruth gained experience conducting clinical trials across all phases from working in a phase I unit to multi-centre phase IV studies.
Ruth moved to New Zealand in 2006, working for both CRO and Pharmaceutical companies. During this time Ruth was also involved with training and mentoring of research professionals and enjoyed coaching and motivating other professionals to participate in high quality research.
Ruth then continued to work as an independent contractor on a number of differing projects from Investigator-Led studies to large industry sponsored trials, with a focus on quality improvement within NZ. In 2019 Ruth took up the post as Research Manager for Cancer & Blood Research at Auckland District Health Board, broadening her industry experience into the DHB. At the end of 2022, Ruth took on a new venture as part of the leadership team of a NZ start-up CRO offering CRO services and consulting in precision medicine.
Erica Currie
Secretary
Erica has over 20 years’ experience in the clinical research industry. Starting as an assistant at Auckland University, CTRU, then moving to the UK and training as a CRA at Imperial College London’s Centre for Circulatory Medicine.
Erica returned to New Zealand in 2007 to continue her career moving into Regional Clinical Trial Management within the CRO’s then Senior Project Management at a Sponsor / Biotech level. Her clinical trials expertise includes First in Human, Oncology, Diabetes and Cardiovascular therapy areas Phase I – Phase III clinical trials.
Erica is currently an Associate Director at BeiGene, leading a team of Regional Clinical Study Managers across ANZ. She continues to develop her passion for expanding clinical trials in New Zealand and building strong relationship with the clinical trial sites.
Jo Sanders
Privacy Officer
Jo is the Operations Manager at NZCR Christchurch and has worked in various research roles over her career. These roles include the late phase patient studies having managed the Haematology Clinical Trials unit at Christchurch Hospital before moving into the Early Phase first in man trials at NZCR.
Jo is a Registered Nurse with a MHealSc, and has a passion for clinical research and the opportunities it creates to improve health outcomes for current and future patient groups.
Chris Taylor
Treasurer
Currently Chris is Senior Manager, Global Site Activation at IQVIA RDS Pty Limited.
Chris has worked in various roles in the clinical trial industry since 2007, initially as Operations Manager for a Phase 1-3 unit in Christchurch (including healthy volunteer and first in human trials). In 2016 he moved to the CRO world, commencing at IQVIA as a start-up specialist, and since 2019 has managed a team of start-up specialists across Australia and New Zealand. He is a registered nurse with clinical experience in spinal injuries and haematology and has also held a variety of nursing and service leadership roles.
Marina Dzhelali
General Board Member
Marina Dzhelali is a Research Manager in Medical Institute of Research and Associate Director of QA, HiRO.
Born in Russia, raised in Ukraine and graduated in the USA, Marina has worked in clinical research over 25y and acquired research experience in many clinical areas. She has been NZACREs member since 2004 in the variety of roles.
Marina has been heavily involved in development and updates of national CTRA and CIA and has special interest in legal aspect of research.
Irene Northey
General Board Member
Dr Irene Northey is a Senior Clinical Research Associate at HiRO. In her current role, she oversees clinical trial monitoring and site management across New Zealand and Australia. She previously worked at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare in the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Clinical team and has held roles as a sleep physiologist in both public and private sleep laboratories. She holds a PhD in Audiology from the University of Auckland, where she focused on hearing function in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. With over a decade of experience in clinical research spanning commercial, academic and public health sectors, she brings deep expertise in clinical trial operations, including ethics submission and regulatory process for both drug and medical device studies.
Gabby Shortt
General Board Member
Dr Gabby Shortt is a Research Fellow at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), specialising in applied infectious disease research and community embedded clinical trials.
Gabby as a background in molecular microbiology, completing her PhD at Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University of Wellington), where her research focused on Neisseria meningitidis virulence factors. She now applies this expertise to translational infectious disease research, clinical trial delivery, and research infrastructure development, with a particular interest in trials conducted in non-traditional and community settings.
She joined MRINZ in 2019 and has experience across clinical trial coordination, monitoring, and governance. Gabby is committed to strengthening the clinical research workforce and supporting research that translates into improved health outcomes for communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Bronwyn Gale
General Board Member
Bronwyn is a pharmacist who spent her earlier career managing community pharmacies in New Zealand and Ireland. After gaining experience as a Regulatory Manager for a generics company in Ireland, Bronwyn returned to New Zealand in 2020, to take on the role of Global Medical Information Lead at Roche Products New Zealand, where she was responsible for medical information for the New Zealand affiliate and at a global level. Still at Roche, Bronwyn is currently working in the clinical operations space as a Clinical Study Manager, overseeing the initiation and ongoing management of local and regional clinical trials. Bronwyn has a special interest in promoting equity in clinical research, particularly in improving access for Māori and Pasifika patients, as well as those New Zealanders living in rural, regional, and remote locations.
Scott Bannan
General Board Member
Scott Bannan works as the New Zealand Clinical Research Director for Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD). Scott is also a member of the MSD-ANZ clinical trials core leadership team which oversees MSD’s portfolio of clinical trials across ANZ. His expertise and leadership skills contribute to the effective management and implementation of MSD’s research projects across ANZ.
Prior to being appointed to his current position in 2022, Scott has held two other positions over his time at MSD, starting as a Clinical Operations Manager from 2015 until being appointed to the position of Senior Clinical Operations Manager in 2018. In total, Scott has over 20 years experience in clinical research. Over this career, he has gained extensive experience in the field of clinical research which has equipped him with valuable insights and expertise in the conduct of clinical trials. Scott’s motivation comes from the desire to give as many New Zealanders as possible the option to choose to participate in quality research studies.
Julie Jones
Non Voting Advisor
Julie has over 20 years of experience in vaccine development and clinical trials across a variety of roles within the clinical research industry. She is currently working as a quality manager and sits on the Central Health & Disability Ethics Committee. She has previously established a GMP facility and spent 7 years within the European pharmaceutical industry working within clinical trial project management, strategic development and relationship management positions.