Cardiology Clinical Research Helps Prepare Coordinators for Future Success

Chinye Ijeli worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) in the Cardiology Division from July 2018 to May 2019. Her role as a CRC allowed her to work on large research studies powered by Eureka, a mobile phone-based research platform developed at UCSF.

The largest study she worked on was the Health eHeart Study, an international, 250,000-participant study that aims to explain the epidemiology of heart disease. Chinye says, “While working on Eureka studies, I learned about the ways in which technology can become a democratizing force in healthcare.” 

At UCSF, Chinye was balancing her full-time role with medical school applications and interviews. She says her journey to medical school was full of obstacles. “My working-class, immigrant parents, did not have much advice or financial support to offer me in my pursuit. Being a black woman, I also faced a shortage of role models that looked like me in my areas of study.” 

Chinye’s hard work paid off, and she received news that she was accepted into Yale School of Medicine on a full-ride scholarship.

In the summer of 2019, Chinye received funding from Yale to conduct research about how universal health coverage systems promote health equity. In the fall, she presented that research at the Society of General Internal Medicine’s regional meeting in Boston.

Chinye completed her first year of medical school and this past summer she conducted “research about the effects of racist and xenophobic attitudes on US federal health policy in the twentieth century.”

“My background has given me a lot to overcome, but it has also sharpened my sense of purpose and my commitment to equity and public service.”

If you would like to learn more about our Clinical Research Programs, click here.