Eva Friedman is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) currently pursuing a Master’s in Health Administration and the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation. With experience in both hospital and university research settings, she has coordinated studies from planning to completion, managed ethics submissions for study approvals and amendments, and communicated study progress to CIHR.
Over the past two years, Eva has been deeply involved in systems transformation efforts aimed at improving the clinical trials landscape in Canada. Her work has focused on increasing trial accessibility, addressing barriers and facilitators to recruitment, and ensuring that all Canadians—including those in remote, minority, and Indigenous communities—have equitable access to clinical research opportunities.
Through her collaborations with patient partners, Eva has witnessed firsthand the impact of trial initiation delays on patients relying on clinical trials for life-saving treatments. Working alongside hundreds of researchers, she has also gained insight into how slow and fragmented Research Ethics Board processes hinder the timely launch of critical studies.
Last year, Eva played a key role in organizing a national conference that brought together senior REB administrators, research institution directors, hospital and university administrators, corporate partners, trial sponsors, technical experts, patients and caregivers, Health Canada representatives, provincial health regulators, CIHR Scientific Directors, and international experts from countries with existing single national REB systems. These discussions explored the feasibility and design of a national REB system for multisite clinical trials in Canada, with a focus on balancing efficiency with existing regulatory frameworks to facilitate smoother adoption.
Now joining CanReview, Eva is eager to build on her experience and drive the development of a streamlined, well-functioning national REB system. Her approach emphasizes ethical, collaborative, and practical solutions that will bring value to researchers and Canada’s diverse patient population.