Xuanyi Li

Where are you located? What geographical region(s) do you cover? 
I am based in Guangzhou, China, supporting clinical research sites across South China, particularly within Guangdong Province. 

How long have you been working in the area of clinical research? 
I have been working in clinical research for over three years, beginning my career as a Clinical Trial Assistant (CTA) before transitioning to the CRA role in December 2025. During my time as a CTA, I have developed a strong understanding of study operations, data management and cross-functional collaboration, skills that have provided a solid foundation for my current role. 

What is the best part of your job? 
One of the things I enjoy most about clinical research is the opportunity to contribute to the development of new medical advances while continuously learning from the people around me. Clinical trials are truly a team effort, involving investigators, coordinators, sponsors, participants and many other professionals. Supporting sites through planning, communication and problem-solving while helping maintain participant safety and data quality is both rewarding and meaningful to me. 

What has been interesting about your work in clinical research? Did anything surprise you about the patient population? 
One experience that has stayed with me was working on a HPV vaccine study. I was surprised by how engaged many of the healthy volunteers were. Rather than simply receiving information during the informed consent process, many participants arrived with their own knowledge, asked thoughtful questions and showed a genuine interest in understanding the research. Their enthusiasm and commitment to contributing to medical progress left a lasting impression on me. 

What are you most proud of in your work? 
I am proud of my ability to bring people together and solve challenges through effective communication. Whether it is helping stakeholders align on complex contract discussions or working proactively with sites to accelerate ethics committee submissions and approvals, I enjoy finding ways to improve efficiency and keep studies moving forward. Seeing a site activate ahead of schedule because of strong collaboration across teams is especially rewarding. For me, success is not only about achieving project milestones, but also about building strong relationships and helping everyone work towards a shared goal. 
I'm excited to continue growing in clinical research at Fortrea, learning from every study and collaboration, and contributing to research that has the potential to improve patient care and advance medical knowledge.