Spotlight: Jocel Dumlao

Jocel R. Dumlao works with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at UCSF as a Technical Recruitment Specialist for the newly launched UCSF Participant Recruitment Service (PRS).

The CTSI, a campuswide institute with scientist leaders at the helm, works to rapidly translate research findings into improvements in patient and community health.

How long have you been working at UCSF?

Including a previous position with the Immune Tolerance Network, I've now been at UCSF for over 2 years, and each day has been engaging and educational.

What do you do at UCSF and how is it connected to the UCSF mission?

I work with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at UCSF and am a Technical Recruitment Specialist for the newly launched UCSF Participant Recruitment Service (PRS). One of my tasks at PRS is to evaluate and integrate technical tools that will aid in recruitment. Facilitating the enrollment of research participants into UCSF clinical studies is an important service that my colleagues and I provide, and I feel our efforts truly support UCSF's goal of advancing health worldwide.

What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your job?

We recently launched the UCSF Research Participant Registry, which allows people interested in volunteering for research to join the registry and be notified about enrolling studies at UCSF. It has been very exciting to collaborate in the design, testing, and implementation of a recruitment registry that is only one of a handful serving academic researchers. Having been involved with this project from conception, there were times when the technical obstacles and regulatory hurdles we encountered proved challenging, but they were also very educational. After receiving Committee on Human Research approval and launching the registry, it has been tremendously rewarding to watch the number of participants registering to be notified about studies and who want to volunteer for research.

What do you like most about working at CTSI?

I really enjoy being a member of a diverse organization where I can use both my interests in technology and my experience in clinical research. Working in China Basin across from AT&T Park is great, too.

If you chose another career path outside UCSF what would it be?

I have many varied interests, but I probably would have been a teacher; perhaps teaching music or English or French literature. I believe in sharing what you know, and educating yourself about what you don’t know. I've learned a great deal from people who weren't teachers, but because I asked and showed interest, they were willing to share their knowledge and expertise with me.

What's something that members of the UCSF community would be surprised to know about you?

My love of music. I can spend hours listening to different genres of music from around the world. I buy so much music that I have boxes and boxes of old CDs and an external hard drive full of music. I also teach beginning piano to a few students a couple days a week.

What are your favorite things to do with your free time?

I am huge fan of indie and foreign films. I love going to the movies. I try to see one a week. There's nothing like watching a movie on a big screen.