About CSci

Submitted by dario on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 12:44
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Name: 
Selvi Jeyaseelan
At A Glance
Licensed Body: 
ICR
Region: 
International
Location: 
Barbados
First Degree: 
BSc Biology & Biochemical Sciences
Job: 
Clinical Research Project Manager
Age: 
39
Works For: 
Clinical Research Management Inc.
Qualifications: 
PhD, BSc, PGCE, DMS
Pet Hates: 
Rudeness - manners cost nothing
Burning Ambition: 
To retire somewhere tropical
Superpower: 
Mind reading
Big Picture
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
Teacher/doctor
Who or what inspired you to become a scientist? 
Secondary school biology teacher - Mrs Allan who de-mystified science without dumbing down
What do you love about your job and being a “scientist”? 
Science has given me skills for problem solving which has been a key component of running studies and helping others conduct their medical research. As part of my project management role I see a range of projects and a science background allows me to pick up condition specific knowledge quickly
Education
What qualifications did you take at school? 
I did O and A levels at school - including all sciences
Why did you choose your first degree subject? 
Biology and Biochemical Sciences with a view to teaching science at secondary school
Do you have a Masters or PhD? If not, was it difficult to demonstrate Masters-level equivalence in order to achieve CSci? 
I have a PhD - muscle physiology
Job
How do you describe your job when you meet people at a party? 
Medical research project manager e.g. testing new drugs
What is ‘cutting-edge’ about your work? 
Working to bring cutting edge expertise to Barbados, particularly in terms of research governance and Good Clinical Practice. Providing a range of local researchers with the skills to conduct competitive relevant research is key to this process
What are the biggest implications your work will/could have in the future? 
Short-term - the project finishes on time and within budget. Long-term - who knows…..I would hope that as a result of my work more individuals will be able to submit successful grant applications and be able to produce reliable research output
Describe some of the highlights of your average day. 
No such thing as an average day. Activities can range from meetings with senior government officials to helping new researchers write grant proposals. I also enjoy the fact that I work on projects in different areas.
Describe briefly how your career has progressed to date. 
Until 2005 career path was typical I finished my PhD and continued to a postdoctoral fellowship. After that I concentrated on clinical trials co-ordination, working my way up to high level management of several trials. In 2005, I provided project management support for a range of projects in Tanzania. This experience convinced me to remain overseas. I relocated to the Caribbean and have not looked back
How is your job cross-disciplinary? 
Due to the nature of project management the job has to be cross-disciplinary. However, on a project basis the range of disciplines can vary. One project involves, a doctor, social scientist a nutritionist and some gardeners!
How well is your job compensated? What is the starting salary for your field, and how much can this be expected to rise? 
It pays the bills
How do you see your field developing over the next 5-10 years? 
Both project management of clinical research and intervention studies are in their infancy in the Caribbean and it is too early to tell. This is a challenge but also an opportunity to establish a rigorous and efficient regulatory framework, learning from the lessons of other countries
What’s the most unexpected thing about your job? 
The range of project subject areas just keeps growing
What’s the biggest achievement of your career so far? 
Establishing my own company in the Caribbean
Life
Would you say you have a good standard of living/ work-life balance? 
It varies, but on the whole yes.
What do your friends and family think about your job? 
They are more interested in the location of my job!
What kind of hobbies or extracurricular activities do you do to relax? 
Diving/snorkeling
CSci
Why did you choose to apply for CSci and what do you value most about being a Chartered Scientist? 
Provides a “quality mark” and supports the fact that clinical project management is considered a profession in its own right
What is the value of professional bodies? 
Access to continuing professional development and information regarding new developments in the field.
How important is CPD? What do you think of the revalidation process in ensuring that CSci is a mark of current competence? 
Running research studies involving humans means that you need to keep up to date with the relevant guidelines and regulations. CPD is a great way to do this especially with online courses.
Advice & Reflection
What words of wisdom would you give someone interested in getting into your field? 
Do the same/similar role in different environments e.g. get a mix of industry and academic experience
How important is the mentoring process in your field and to you personally? 
Although the need for mentoring tends to vary between clients, I always make sure that I work closely with someone within the organization. So there is an understanding of how and why things have been put in place. Converting my short-term role into a more enduring knowledge is important to me
How would you define “professionalism”? 
Appropriate combination of expertise, knowledge, courtesy and objectivity
What would you do differently if you were starting out in your career now? 
If you are planning on a career in academia get relevant experience in industry early on
What would you like people to remember about your life as a scientist? 
That you always learnt something even if was just trivia!
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