Donna Sattler

How long have you been volunteering at CDISC? 
About 15 years. I started volunteering on the questionnaires team.

What encouraged you to volunteer your time and expertise with CDISC? 
Curiosity. I was only touching the surface of the standards. And only learning what I needed to know to do my day job. However, I didn’t learn how discussions led to the solutions for a new CT term or a new variable proposed.

How did you begin working in clinical research? 
When I was a marketing data manager, I worked with targeted data sources for direct mail solicitations, and I became very interested in learning programming. My manager at the time said I wouldn’t be able to learn it since that wasn’t my job. After several discussions with my husband, I quit my marketing job after I accepted a spot in the PhilaU SAS Programming continuing education program. My first SAS programming job was as a 30-year-old intern at J&J and the rest is history.

What did you want to be when you grew up? 
Veterinarian.

You are working on the SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) CRF release. What are you excited about with this release and/or what updates do you think the user community will find most useful? 
It’s been a long road. After each mile was covered; there was more information shared and learned. I know this form will continue to evolve and additional data collection will naturally be developed because of it. I’m happy that underrepresented study participants will see themselves in this new form and be proud to self-identify. And at the minimum, it may give them a welcoming feeling of truly belonging in clinical research.  

Please provide a tip that someone would find helpful in working with CDISC Standards.  
Ask questions. Do not be intimidated or assume you are expected to know everything. All the tools that are out there to help you navigate standards are overwhelming. As a CDISC mentor, it’s our job to help one another. Rewatch CDISC webinars! Volunteer!!!