Hi everyone -
               As we gear up for another summer season, I'd like to welcome you to our Q2 2020 newsletter! Q2 marked another busy quarter and a time of great growth for us - meet our new hires in our Behind the Curtain at IMPACT section below.
              Whether it be by subscribing to our newsletter or blog, joining us at one of our Making an IMPACT events, or following us on social media, we hope you'll engage with us, and don't forget to call if you need us!  We're here to help.


Mark Cierpial, CEO
In This Issue:
Making an IMPACT
Past Events
Activate Good
In March, we contributed to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic through opportunities available through Activate Good, donating blood to The American Red Cross, and making fabric masks.

Virtual Food Drive
Our efforts to help the community during this pandemic continued with a virtual food drive through the  Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina  where, with every dollar donated, the Food Bank provides $10 worth of food (5 meals!) to our neighbors in need.
In total we raised $5,235.

Cards for Taylon
In May, we wrote "Get Well" cards for Taylon, a cystic fibrosis patient, to make his day a little brighter during his hospital stay at  UNC Chapel Hill Children's Hospital .

Great Strides
IMPACT took part in the virtual Chapel Hill Great Strides walk supporting the  Cystic Fibrosis Foundation  on June 5th, during which we also celebrated the Foundation's 65th birthday!

Clothing Drive
In addition, we donated work outfits to  StepUp Durham employment program  participants as they gear up for interviews with hopes of re-entering the work force soon.
Upcoming Events
We are doing our best to serve our community virtually. Stay tuned for ways you can help in the future.
Want to be part of our events?
Email Brandi and Laurel to join our Making an IMPACT mailing list.
IMPACTConnect
Past Events
Virtual Lunch
In April, our fabulous office manager, Chrissy, organized a company wide virtual lunch. Each employee was sent a Grubhub gift card to purchase a lunch of their choice. We all gathered on a virtual online platform and got to "see" each other and have some time to catch up.
Take Your Dog To Work Day
On June 26th, we participated in National Take Your Dog to Work Day.

This year, since we're working from home, we celebrated virtually.

We shared photos and videos of our canine coworkers on our company instant messaging platform!

Upcoming Events
We'll continue to connect virtually by sharing GIFs and pictures through instant messages, playing games online, and having virtual happy hours.
IMPACT on Health
Ongoing Events
Walking Group
A virtual walking group was started to allow employees to share their walking experience with the group!

Breathing and Exercise Resources
IoH shared resources for employees to practice breathing exercises and stretches at home, along with a sample workout routine.
IMPACT on Literacy
Upcoming Events
Book Club
We will be discussing our next book, Spillover by David Quammen,
on July 24, 2020.
IMPACT Snapshot
In an effort to stay engaged with each other and our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, we played virtual IMPACT initiative BINGO. Squares included activities from Making an IMPACT, IMPACT on Health, IMPACT on Literacy, and IMPACTConnect, and 8 winners received their choice of a $25 GrubHub or Amazon gift card.
Come Work
with IMPACT
We are always hiring Experienced Medical Writers! Check us out!

Need help with your projects?
Check out our services and our case studies/testimonials!
Drug Development & IMPACT
Wonder Where You Can Find Us?
Upcoming appearances:
We are practicing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, but feel free to reach out to us virtually! Shoot us an email or find us on
Follow us on Twitter Twitter or View our profile on LinkedIn LinkedIn.
Behind the Curtain at IMPACT
Promotions
  
Evan DuBose was promoted to Clinical Research Scientist I following her completion of IMPACT's Fellowship Program. Evan is an excellent scientist and is developing into an outstanding writer. In addition to her fellowship work, Evan has been actively involved with Making an IMPACT since she started. Behind Evan's quiet demeanor is a million-dollar smile, a wicked sense of humor, and a caring heart.
Kelly D'Arezzo was promoted to Senior Quality Control Specialist. Kelly has been instrumental in the day-to-day functions of our QC department and is the go-to coordinator of all QC resourcing. Kelly's superb project management skills and her ability to find creative solutions keep our QC "engine" running as efficiently as possible. In addition to being an excellent QCer, she has also taken on new responsibilities, including helping to manage weekly safety submissions, training our newest employees on all things QC-related, and contributing to company initiatives.
Brandi Schuster  was promoted to Clinical Research Scientist II. Brandi joined us in 2018 and has proven herself to be a gifted writer, an excellent communicator, and a dedicated team player. Brandi has authored CSRs, IBs, narratives, and protocols of increasing complexity. In addition, she served an invaluable role on an NDA submission team last year. Aside from her stellar skills as a clinical research scientist, Brandi also offers her time and talents to co-leading Making an IMPACT, as well as providing valuable and insightful contributions to other company initiatives. She truly invests her heart and soul into every single project she touches.
Amritha Kidiyoor was promoted to 
Clinical  Research Scientist II. Since joining IMPACT in 2018, she has authored narratives, CSRs, IBs, and protocols with multiple clients and across various therapeutic areas. She never shies away from a challenge and is a very thorough, organized scientist. She also enjoys mentoring new Fellows! Amritha offers her talents to several company initiatives, including leading IMPACT on Health. She has a wonderful sense of humor that is contagious and always brings a smile to our faces.
Laurel Kartchner was promoted to Clinical Research Scientist II. Laurel joined us in 2018, and her immeasurable work ethic and heart of gold have made her an invaluable part of our team. She has authored CSRs, IBs, protocols, and narratives and been complimented for her scientific knowledge, flexibility, and communication. Laurel embraces the challenges of working with our smaller clients as they navigate the initial steps of their drug development journey. In addition, she offers her time and talents to co-leading Making an IMPACT, mentoring our fellows, and participating in every possible IMPACT event.
Erin Peters was promoted to Senior Clinical Research Scientist. Erin joined Impact in 2017 and has proven herself to be an exemplary team player, a gifted mentor, and a brilliant scientist. Erin has authored a wide assortment of documents, including CSRs, narratives, IBs, safety update reports, protocols, and briefing documents. Erin has also authored components of both NDA and IND submissions. In addition, Erin has demonstrated outstanding leadership and mentoring abilities. She is presently sharing her time and talents to assist with our new class of Fellows and to improve our CSR training class. She is a master at delivering high-quality documents, creating wonderfully collaborative relationships across an array of diverse clients, and serving as the consummate team player.
Meet Our New Medical Writing Fellows
From Left to Right: Julia DiFiore, Alicia Carreiro, and Kelsey Noll
Julia DiFiore  just finished up her PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill. While in grad school she had a short stint as an intern with Cato Research in the Clinical Strategy and Regulatory Affairs program. Julia grew up near Pittsburgh and moved to Chapel Hill for grad school, so she is a big fan of the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, as well as the Tar Heels. In her free time she enjoys running, cooking, and reading, particularly historical fiction.

Alicia Carreiro received her PhD in nutritional biochemistry from Purdue University and had been working in non-regulatory medical writing for MicroMass Communications for a little over a year. In this role, she gained experience working with clients, meeting deadlines, and functioning in a small team atmosphere. Alicia likes outdoor activities such as running and hiking, and she also enjoys busting out some yoga and baking.

Kelsey Noll recently completed her PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill in Microbiology and Immunology. Last year, she participated in an internship with EpiCypher, where she contributed to writing NIH grants and various other scientific communications. Kelsey races triathlons on a local elite team and does some rock climbing on the side. She also enjoys baking and is leisurely learning the art of cocktail making.
Meet Our New Employee
Rory Bales joined the Regulatory Operations team as a Senior Submissions Specialist. He has worked in Regulatory Operations since 2015 and has a Master's Degree in Regulatory Affairs. Rory has gained much of his global submission experience while working on the sponsor side with Cempra and, most recently, on the CRO side with Triangle Regulatory Publishing. Rory is an incredible addition to our team and will be a valued partner to the clients he supports.

Stephanie (Steph) Byrd joined the medical writing team as a Clinical Research Scientist II. She comes to us from Nuventra, where she was an Associate Scientist. Steph received her PhD in Plant Biology with a minor in Biotechnology at NC State. Her hobbies include gardening, cycling,\ scuba diving, canine agility, and swimming. She and her husband have two young boys and an Australian Shepherd/Cattle Dog named Deacon (named after Wake Forest where she and her husband met).

Jac Camp  joined IMPACT as our first full-time IT Director! He has over 20 years of IT experience, most recently as the IT Manager at Circassia Pharmaceuticals. Not only does Jac have pharma experience, but much of his work has been in smaller organizations where he played a very "hands on" role. Jac grew up in Florida before moving to North Carolina 5 years ago. He enjoys college football and is an avid FSU fan. He, his wife, and their 3 children enjoy spending several weekends a year camping, hiking, and fishing.

Leigh Grieco  joined IMPACT in mid-May as our first full-time HR Director. She has over 8 years of HR experience and has already started getting to know each IMPACT employee individually with virtual meetings. We are so excited to have Leigh join our team! Leigh enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter and time inside with her two dogs (Lola and Bill) and cat (Lego). Leigh is a diehard Wolfpack fan, as both she and her husband are NC State alumni.
IMPACT on Social Media
Check out some of our recent blog posts and press releases featured on View our profile on LinkedIn LinkedIn and Follow us on Twitter Twitter!


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Main Line:  919.899.9248       
Physical Address:
79 TW Alexander Drive
Building 4401, Suite 100
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Experience. Integrity. IMPACT.