About me:

My name is April L. Smith, CCRP, CIP, and the Lead Director of Research Integrity at CVS.

I graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in Communication Management in 2004 and quickly started my career at the World Renowned Cleveland Clinic in Data Management and Clinical Research.

I went on to obtain certifications as a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) and a Professional Institutional Review Board (IRB) Professional (CIP) while working at the University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC). In 2017 I started managing the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Saint Luke’s Health System of Kansas City, Missouri.

Upon leaving the Academic Medical Center sector and prior to CVS, I started working as a consultant for The HRP Consulting Group which offered customized services and solutions to best meet the needs of each individual client.

I have over a decade of extensive knowledge of the operational functions of Clinical Research specifically as it relates to the protection of human subjects. This experience includes but not limited to Institutional Review Board (IRB), Regulatory Functions, Data Management, a vast understanding of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and a comprehensive knowledge of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

It is my mission to assure that research projects involving human subject’s adhere to the guidelines of the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the International Council of Harmonisation (ICH).

I believe it is a huge obligation of our society to help protect public health, safety, morals and general welfare.

My favorite quotes is “The future depends on what you do today.” ~Mahatma Gandhi