What is a clinical research associate?

A clinical research associate is a specialized researcher who works primarily in the medical or pharmaceutical fields. As a clinical research associate, you have training in performing medical research to support research for clinical trials. You are often the one to monitor clinical trials. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state safety protocols, checking on research sites, collecting consent forms from participants, and communicating with other more senior researchers about the progress of the clinical trial. Another major feature of the clinical research associate’s mission is to ensure that the rights and privacy of all human subjects are being respected.