Anthony Drier, clinical research coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently received the 2018 Sandra Turner Excellence in Clinical Research Award for his effort in coordinating cancer research studies with great attention to detail, service, and timeliness.

The Sandra Turner Excellence in Clinical Research Award is awarded annually by the Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN) to individuals who exemplify the qualities of the late Sandra Turner, HCRN’s first executive director, including a strong professional commitment, contribution to the progress of oncology care, and the constant touch of compassion.

The award was established in 2002 by HCRN co-founder William B. Fisher, MD, through the George and Sarah Jane Fisher Fund.

“With Tony’s unwavering commitment, compassion, and contribution to the progress of oncology research, he is the perfect recipient for the 2018 Sandra Turner Excellence in Clinical Research Award,” says Matthew Milowsky, MD, section chief of genitourinary oncology at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

After graduating with a degree in biology, Drier’s first job was working with a tissue procurement group at UNC. He says the experience opened his eyes to all the research taking place and has prepared him for managing processes and logistics required in clinical trials.

“I’ve always been interested in cancer research,” Drier says. “I manage a handful of studies that all have different research aims.”

Drier’s current responsibilities include coordinating genitourinary (GU) oncology studies and facilitating correlative tissue collection with UNC’s Office of Clinical & Translational Research to ensure tissues are collected and stored appropriately. His work typically focuses on managing biorepository and case sequencing studies.

Before working in the oncology department at UNC, Drier served as lead research specialist at Emory University, while his wife was completing her degree in public health.

Since his return to UNC, he has stayed busy coordinating studies, including a bladder cancer biorepository study managed by the Hoosier Cancer Research Network, HCRN GU15-217.

He says the clinical team he works with are a great resource to him and patients who are considering enrollment in a clinical trial.

“They would often talk to patients as in-depth as they wanted about the benefits of a study and what we are looking to do with it,” which Drier says made a patient’s decision to enroll in a clinical trial easier.

He says he’s grateful to have support from HCRN staff and a resource such as the study management system, OnCore, to help him prepare for data collection and site visits.

“It has been extremely helpful having HCRN coordinate other sites and navigate patient enrollment and monitor the data I’ve entered,” Drier says. “The goal is to get these patients on a study or get them some information, so we can get their treatment to them as quickly as possible.”

Drier says he enjoys interacting with patients and seeing how much progress investigators have made in cancer research.

“I have witnessed a huge improvement in the field in just the last couple of years as immunotherapies have drastically improved treatment options,” he says. “Being in this field has shown me just how dedicated physicians are in finding more effective treatment methods for patients. I hope this progress continues and the work I have done in this field will further that knowledge.”

Drier says he plans to continue his professional development through networking and would like to become a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC), a distinction that is issued by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

He is grateful to be recognized with the Sandra Turner Excellence in Clinical Research Award and finds his career fulfilling.

“It’s truly an honor,” Drier says. “It just further validates that I am in the right career and I am hopefully helping make a difference in some of the patient’s lives that I am coming into contact with each day.”

Story by Angie Antonopoulos

About Hoosier Cancer Research Network:

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (formerly known as Hoosier Oncology Group) conducts innovative cancer research in collaboration with academic and community physicians and scientists across the United States. The organization provides comprehensive clinical trial management and support, from conception through publication. Created in 1984 as a program of the Walther Cancer Institute, Hoosier Cancer Research Network became an independent nonprofit clinical research organization in 2007. Since its founding, Hoosier Cancer Research Network has conducted more than 210 trials in a variety of cancer types and supportive care, resulting in more than 350 publications. More than 8,500 subjects have participated in Hoosier Cancer Research Network clinical trials.