April 28, 2025
For every clinical trial, there are countless behind-the-scenes efforts that ensure every test and sample is handled with care. In this Q&A, we shine a light on Jenna, a laboratory manager at The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Office, who plays a critical role in supporting early-phase clinical research. From managing daily operations in the lab to collaborating with various departments and clinical trial sponsors, Jenna shares insights into the impact of clinical trials on patient care, what keeps her team motivated and what she sees as the future of cancer research.
What is your role at the Clinical Trials Office?
As laboratory manager, I lead and provide expertise in the Early Phase Correlative Lab. My job is to serve as the main point of contact with external vendors and clinical trial sponsors. The laboratory manager works collaboratively with project management, regulatory, study coordinators and nursing to provide laboratory expertise during Executive Resourcing Committee review and study startup. The laboratory manager develops and implements policies and workflows/SOPs for daily correlative lab operation. Ultimately, this position is responsible for the execution and oversight of daily clinical trial operations within the correlative lab for all early phase clinical trials from when the trial begins to when it ends.
Our team collaborates with many departments to carry out study-specific labs, tissue and electrocardiograms; while upholding strong lab integrity to ensure the data and samples we send to sponsors are valuable for the clinical study.
What inspired you to work in clinical research?
What motivates me most about clinical research is the chance to directly impact people’s lives. Every successful trial we are involved in has the potential to change the lives of our patients and their families. No two studies are alike, so I learn something new every day.
We have a great lab team; they genuinely care about the outcome of the research and the well-being of our patients. They keep me motivated to always do our best work.
What’s one aspect of clinical trials that most people don’t realize or understand?
One thing people don’t realize about the lab side of clinical trials is how much coordination and teamwork are required to gather the data. Our lab team collects samples at 5 locations and at each of these locations there are many departments we work with. We set up these collections the day before the patient visits, and because many of the samples are time sensitive, our team needs to be ready to process and ship them quickly after they’re collected.
What excites you about the future of cancer clinical research?
I’m excited about the potential to expand studies that target therapy based on patients genetic testing and cancer cells. This personalized approach could lead to more effective and tailored therapies for patients.