Our “Meet the Expert” series introduces you to our team of experts around the world. This “behind the curtain” view will help you get to know who we are on a professional and personal level, and highlight how our colleagues work together on our higher purpose to improve patient health and safety throughout the complete product lifecycle.
Meet the Expert: Terri Levine, Principal Medical Writer
What do you do at ProPharma? How does your role support improving the health and safety of patients?
My work at ProPharma primarily involves writing and editing scientific manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and abstracts, posters, and slide decks for conferences; managing the journal submission and publication of manuscripts; and providing publication planning services, such as target journal and conference identification and the selection of appropriate authors for publications. I also conduct comprehensive narrative and systematic reviews that summarize existing research and identify gaps in the literature. Overall, I am responsible for the clear, compelling, and accurate communication of research methods, findings, and conclusions and their contextualization within the existing knowledge base.
My role supports the health and safety of patients by ensuring that healthcare professionals and other stakeholders have access to accurate, evidence-based information when making decisions about patient care. I contribute to post-market surveillance activities by publishing efficacy and safety updates, which ensures the ongoing monitoring of products after they have entered the market. My work is also used to support the development of guidelines, review articles, and educational materials that help healthcare professionals and other stakeholders stay updated on the latest advancements and best practices, which ideally leads to improved patient outcomes. By publishing research in peer-reviewed journals and facilitating its presentation at scientific and medical conferences, I contribute to the transparency of the research process and help build trust in the medical community and among patients.
What do you like best about working with clients?
I really enjoy the variety of my work. On any given day, I may be developing an abstract for a Phase 1 single ascending dose study for a poster submission, diving deep into a comprehensive narrative review that gives me an opportunity to get a firmer grasp on a client’s mission, or spending hours fiddling with figures to get them just right for an upcoming oral presentation. Some clients come to us with a clear vision of their publication needs, existing workflows, and style guides, while others approach us to seek out our strategic expertise in publications and publications planning and need our assistance in establishing functional workflows and a visually appealing signature style. This variety keeps my mind active and my skill set developing, and accommodating the nuances of each client’s needs and preferences allows me to be better equipped for each new client and a wider range of projects.
What’s your number one goal / focus right now?
Publications and medical affairs are relatively new pursuits for ProPharma; the majority of our medical writing team members are regulatory experts. My number one goal and focus right now is therefore to develop our publications portfolio by building up our publications client base and ensuring the satisfaction of our clients by providing consistently excellent and timely publications.
Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of work.
Outside of work, I spend a lot of time playing with and chasing after my toddler; he’s especially keen on any activity that involves animals or vehicles. In the pockets of time when he’s busy elsewhere or asleep, I like to spend my time doing yoga, going for long walks with a good podcast, painting, reading literary fiction and poetry, and catching up with friends and family.
What value does a client gain by working with ProPharma’s publications medical writing experts?
Our clients gain significant value by collaborating with our publications writers. Some key benefits of working with us include specialized knowledge, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, access to a broader skill set, strategic guidance, improved credibility and visibility, quality control, enhanced focus on core activities, comprehensive project management, and the potential for long-term partnership.
Our specialized knowledge of various therapeutic areas and best publications practices guarantees high-quality and scientifically accurate publications, and we can accelerate timelines in order to meet tight deadlines. Smaller companies often lack the internal resources for publications, and outsourcing this work to us can allow these companies to focus on their core activities, such as research and development, business development, and strategic planning, while letting us handle their publications well and efficiently. Working with our medical writers also allows smaller companies to scale their writing needs according to project demands without needing to maintain a large, full-time medical writing staff. Outsourcing can be more cost-effective than hiring and training in-house medical writers, particularly for small to mid-sized companies with variable publications needs. ProPharma can also provide access to multidisciplinary teams that include not only medical writers but biostatisticians, clinical research experts, regulatory affairs specialists, and pharmacovigilance and medical information professionals.
We also provide strategic guidance regarding publication planning, including identifying target journals, conference presentations, and optimal publications timelines to maximize the impact of research findings; deliver publications and presentations that improve the perceived value and scientific credibility of smaller companies’ research, which can aid in partnership development and investment; and offer rigorous quality control processes to minimize errors and ensure that documents are thoroughly reviewed before submission or publication. As an RCO, we offer integrated services beyond medical writing, including project and data management and statistical analysis as well as regular updates and transparent communication that keep our clients informed about the progress of their projects, which enables timely decision-making and adjustments as needed.
Finally, we seek to establish long-term partnerships with our clients whenever possible, as this allows us to develop an in-depth understanding of a client’s needs and preferences, which facilitates the provision of consistently high-quality and tailored publications support and fosters a smooth and efficient workflow for current and future projects.
In combination, these benefits and others contribute directly to the success and growth of our clients by providing compliant and impactful scientific communications.
