Maddie Testa (CCRA) started her career in health care as a qualified Assistant in Nursing and since has gained extensive experience in Medical Ophthalmology, having worked as a clinical ophthalmic assistant specialising in Medical Retina, Vitreoretinal and Inflammatory Eye Disease. In her Ophthalmology career, Maddie was responsible for the development and implementation of Quality Management Systems successfully managing her workplace to be the first Vitreoretinal Day Surgery in New South Wales to obtain ISO accreditation. She holds the American Academy Certificate in Ophthalmic Assisting and is currently undertaking her Graduate Certificate in Clinical Trial Management through Canberra University.

Maddie has been involved in clinical trials since 2001. Leaving Medical Ophthalmics after 15 years of service, Maddie felt it was time to extend herself into the clinical research field, contributing as a member of study teams undertaking clinical trials in ophthalmology. She has managed a number of clinical trials in Ophthalmology as a Clinical Trial Co-ordinator, both pharmaceutical and combination pharmaceutical/device trials, working with some of Australia’s most renowned ophthalmologists. Maddie has also co-author a number of peer reviewed journal publications. She has been a volunteer patient education officer for the Macular Degeneration Foundation for over ten years and still spends much of her time on weekends and out of work educating community groups on Macular Degeneration.

In 2008, and after 10 years working as a Clinical Trial Co-ordinator Maddie joined Five Corners as a Clinical Research Consultant, becoming a full time employee in early 2010. At Five Corners Maddie works with clients in planning and undertaking their Clinical Research activities in Australia. Her key strengths are in investigating site specific requirements for commencing clinical trials, preparing applications to ethics committees, planning and undertaking site qualification, initiation and monitoring visits; planning investigator meetings, site monitoring, and all other administrative tasks required to start, maintain and close clinical trials. A major advantage Maddie has is her unique ability to look at the studies she works on from a Research Co-ordinator’s perspective.

Maddie is committed to her ongoing development and in addition to her current post graduate studies has completed a number of courses in Good Clinical Practice undertaken by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. She is also a current member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals and the Australasian Health and Research Data Manager’s Association.  Maddie is an accredited Clinical Research Associate with the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.