Profile: Karla Mosby, RN, CCRC
How long have you been with the VTEU?
I have been with Saint Louis University (SLU) VTEU for almost 24 years. After beginning as a research nurse coordinator, I then coordinated the recruitment of study volunteers, and now manage the clinic and clinical research staff.
Tell us about your path to clinical research
I came to the SLU VTEU with 20 years of nursing experience that included hospital floor nursing, emergency room nursing, assisting in ophthalmic surgery, management of an ophthalmology practice and supervision of a Family Medicine Residency Program outpatient clinic and clinic staff. My work with Family Medicine focused on health promotion. I spent time educating Family Medicine residents on the immunization schedules for routine and catch-up vaccines for pediatric and adult patients and administering vaccines to patients of all ages. I also educated travel clinic patients on recommendations for disease prevention and vaccinations for the countries to which they were traveling.
When I became aware of the opportunity at SLU VTEU in vaccine research, it fit well with my focus on health promotion, and my knowledge and experience with vaccines. I have since found that my clinical and management background provided a strong foundation for overcoming the challenges I encounter each day in my current work.
Briefly describe the IDCRC-supported trials you’ve worked on
Our site is participating in the CoVPN Phase III trials for the Moderna and Janssen vaccines, the 20-0034 Phase I Gritstone vaccine trial, and the 20-0006 ACTT COVID-19 treatment trials. Read more about IDCRC studies
Of these trials, what has been the most impactful or highlight of the work?
It is exciting and rewarding to participate in the COVID-19 vaccine trials and to witness the huge impact that the FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) vaccines are making in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an enormous challenge to provide staffing for the Phase III trials; requiring that we quickly double our clinical nursing and support staff during an extremely stressful time in the pandemic. To achieve the level of staffing needed, I brought back retired research nurses to help mentor the newly hired nursing staff. Our PRN research nursing staff were enlisted to work as much as they were available, and we hired additional staff to help with data entry and administrative work. We also contracted with a staffing agency to enlist nursing help with recruitment and safety calls. Infection control policies and procedures were created for staff and study volunteers, and updated as CDC guidelines evolved. I am relieved and happy to say that we successfully kept our staff and study volunteers safe.
What would you want others to know about clinical research or what is a popular misconception about clinical research?
Clinical research is essential to health promotion, disease prevention, and treatments. Study volunteers are vital to the success of our research, and it is always our priority to keep them fully informed and safe. We are also committed to including a diverse population in our clinical trials and continuously working to build greater trust in our community.