Dismayra Martinez works at Yale as a research oversight committee regulatory analyst at the Yale Cancer Center and lives in West Haven. Having come from New York, Dismayra still feels new to not only Yale, but also to New Haven. Dismayra has “wanted to feel more connected with the community” ever since she arrived and this happened when she discovered the Latino Networking Affinity (YLNG) group. Having been introduced, it has given her numerous opportunities to do more in the New Haven Area.
Welcome and congratulations to the new co-chair, Dismayra Martinez.
What are your main responsibilities?
What I do as a research oversight committee regulatory analyst is work with the Quality Assurance Department here at the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. I work with different committees of the Yale Cancer Center, their lead research coordinators, and with the regulatory assistants to gather information from the studies that they are doing. So, every six months the Data Safety Monitoring Committee reviews all the studies and they’re reviewing them for safety and compliance. Once that’s complete, I get all the information from the study teams and go through it to make sure that everything is there and nothing is missing.
What do you like most about your work?
The people; everyone I work with is so much a part of what we’re doing here. I really believe in what we are doing and we feel like we’re making a difference. Even though we are not the oncologists and the surgeons, we still play a huge a role.
How did you learn about your affinity group?
When I relocated to Connecticut from New York, my sister was my only family in Connecticut so I was looking for people to meet, a group to belong to. I just so happened to come across an email invitation for one of the meet and greets that the Yale Latino Networking Group was hosting. Unfortunately, I was a study coordinator so my time was very limited, so when last minute things popped up I couldn’t always attend. Now I’m in a more stable position where I was able to attend more and more events this past year.
What excites you on taking on your affinity group co-chair role?
The opportunity to do more within the community, I think that’s a big reason for me. It’s very enticing because I still feel new and I think it is a perfect opportunity to be more involved.
Why did you choose to take on the volunteer role of co-chair?
YLNG was the first group that I joined when I first started working at Yale. Everyone I met at was very welcoming and helpful. I truly do enjoy event planning and meeting new people so when the opportunity arose to become co-chair I felt that I was ready to take on the position and become even more involved with the group. I am optimistic that together with Tanya, YLNG will have a robust year filled with new partnerships with the rest of the Yale family and the New Haven community.
How do you relieve stress?
Walking. I love walking, not even just for exercise but because it clears my mind and is just a great way to travel, in my opinion. Also, I just picked up a spinning class and I love every moment of it.
By Samuel Suffrard, New Haven Promise Scholar intern, 2017