UH certificate in fast-growing clinical research offered virtually

Kristl Nakamura (left) and Cheyenne Tashombe (right), UH Cancer Center Clinical Research Assistants

UH Cancer Center researcher Jami Fukui guiding a student on clinical research.

A new three-month virtual certificate program will prepare participants for a thriving career in clinical research to better serve cancer patients. The Clinical Research Professional Certificate Program (CRPCP), offered by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Outreach College, is designed to train Clinical Research Associates to support clinical trials efforts at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, affiliated hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. 

Students who complete the certificate program will have the credentials to enter one of the fastest growing fields in the U.S. The field of clinical research is thriving in Hawaii. Jobs in clinical research are expected to grow by 13% by 2026. The average salary range for a clinical research associate is $85,999 and can go as high as $136,000 depending on experience.

The Clinical Research Professional Certificate Program runs from August 24 to November 16, 2022. Space is limited. To register, click here. For more information, contact Lance Haga at hagal@hawaii.edu or call (808) 956-7221.

Current or future biomedical and research scientists, public health professionals, nurses and allied health professionals, and professionals with a natural science background considering a career change should consider applying. The program will equip participants with skills to coordinate cancer clinical trials, manage clinical trials data and to understand research ethics. Courses within the program include an introduction to cancer, clinical research and human subjects protection. 

Kristl Nakamura, a graduate of the certificate program, was immediately hired by the UH Cancer Center to serve as a Clinical Research Associate. Nakamura highly recommends registering for CRPCP if individuals wish to pursue a career in clinical research. 

“I enrolled in the CRPCP not knowing much about the clinical research field and wanted to learn more about it,” Nakamura said. “Taking the course gave me insight into what it would be like working in the industry and that furthered my interest to pursue clinical research as a career.” 

Jonathan Cho, medical director of the UH Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Office, said, “The Clinical Research Professional Program will be entering its third year, and the UH Cancer Center is already reaping the fruits of its success. It has been a boon to our Clinical Trials Program. Clinical trials and clinical research are an integral part of the Cancer Center’s mission to reduce the burden of cancer and to improve the lives of cancer patients and their caregivers.” 

About the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center

 The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center through its various activities, including scientific research and clinical trials, adds more than $57 million to the Oʻahu economy.  It is one of only 71 research institutions designated by the National Cancer Institute.  An organized research unit within the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the UH Cancer Center is dedicated to eliminating cancer through research, education, patient care and community outreach with an emphasis on the unique ethnic, cultural, and environmental characteristics of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.  Learn more at https://www.uhcancercenter.org.  Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UHCancerCenter.  Follow us on Twitter @UHCancerCenter.