Research Staff Spotlight: Damian Bradley
Until joining CHLA last year, Damian Bradley had only worked with adult patients in clinical research. Interacting with children, he says, has been a joy.
“It’s super cool to see their happy faces,” he says, a smile lighting up his own face as he talks. “And the parents, too. You feel like you’re making a significant difference in their lives.”
Originally, Damian studied political science, but then served 10 years in the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman (the Navy equivalent of an Army medic). After leaving the Navy, he took a job working in human resources at a medical center and found himself gravitating to clinical research.
He had been working for five years in clinical research at the Los Angeles LGBT Center when three former co-workers urged him to join them at CHLA. In his role here, he supports clinical trials for children with hemophilia.
“It can be scary to make a jump like this, but I’m so glad I did,” Damian says. “I’m learning a lot, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to work with the amazing team here. They have been incredibly supportive.”
After hours, you’ll find him hanging out with his twin daughters, age 5. “They take up 99.99% of my time!” he says, laughing. If he’s not with them, look for him on top of a mountain—anywhere from Mount Rainier to Half Dome to Machu Picchu.
