Interview with Dan Clark

Since studying at the University of Sheffield, Dan has worked in various roles within the NHS and clinical research. He has joined the NIHR Devices for Dignity team, as a Project Manager, to support studies and cross-cutting themes whilst also assisting with social media and website duties. We spoke with Dan about his background and new role at Devices for Dignity.

“Welcome to the Devices for Dignity Team! What led you to MedTech innovation?”

I studied History at the University of Sheffield, so I never thought I would get involved in healthcare, however I was offered a role in a GP surgery, back home in Durham, during the pandemic to gain some work experience. During this time, I was heavily involved in the Covid vaccine rollout, helping set up our Primary Care Network’s vaccine hub and ensuring clinics were fully stocked and booked. This experience opened my eyes regarding healthcare in the U.K. and how clinical research worked, alongside setting up and organising projects.

Following this, I joined the Clinical Research Facility in Sheffield, working with both the Vaccine and Operations Team. During this time, I developed a much better picture of the medical research landscape and regulatory processes necessary for studies to be approved. I also sharpened my project management skills by helping set up vaccine studies and ensuring queries regarding recruitment, appointments and data, were solved promptly and efficiently. After gaining this valuable experience, I decided to apply for this role, as Project Manager, to test myself and further my career.

“What are you looking forward to in this role?”

I am really excited to test my skills and learn more about device trials. I have really enjoyed working on previous trials during my time at the Clinical Research Facility, however I am interested to see the differences between drug trials and device trials, since I have not been involved with these before. A lot of the trials look really exciting and hopefully they will be able to improve the standard of healthcare and patient’s quality of life in the future.

I am also looking forward to working alongside experts nationwide in both clinical and non-clinical settings and being able to learn from them and further improve my skills and qualities in all aspects of my work.