CityView Magazine

CityViewNC .com | 45 E ven as a little girl growing up in Germany, Judith Borger always knew she wanted to help people. For a while, that meant teaching them how to keep the tips of their skis from crossing or the importance of keeping their knees bent while snowboarding. "I was recruited to be a ski and snowboard instructor, and I worked at Sunday River in Maine," she said. "I've really always valued the interaction with people." You might say that since her ski instructor days, she's gone from helping people navigate the moguls on the slopes to helping them navigate the bumps in life. Borger, D.O., is an emergency room doctor with Cape Fear Valley Health system, serves as research director for the medical center's residency program and is the principal investigator in a research study that could help change the world. Cape Fear Valley Health is partnering with Wake Research of Raleigh and the Carolina Institute for Clinical Research to conduct clinical research trials for COVID vaccines, COVID diagnostic testing and inpatient and outpatient care for patients with COVID-19. Carolina Institute for Clinical Research is a joint research venture between Cape Fear Valley Health and Wake Research, a national network of clinical research facilities. e trial, which began in late July, is ongoing. Fayetteville is one of the six locations affiliated with Wake Research to participate in the phase 3 trial of the vaccine. e others are Raleigh, San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas and Chattanooga, Tennesee. Globally, Moderna has 89 sites participating in vaccine trials. e vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, was co-developed by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company Moderna, Inc. and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. "is is a nationwide trial and currently one of the most talked about," Borger, 40, said. "ere was a very rigorous process to get selected for this. Not only did we get selected, but we're also performing very well in the trial. On monitored visits, we've gotten very good feedback about the standard that we've adhered to. "From a research perspective," she said, "to be involved in a major clinical trial is huge." Matt Irving, a Fayetteville IT specialist with Cape Fear Valley Health is partnering with Wake Research of Raleigh and the Carolina Institute for Clinical Research to conduct clinical research trials for COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 diagnostic testing and inpatient and outpatient care for patients with COVID-19. Judith Borger is honored to be able to put her research skills to use in the hope of finding a vaccine. A mother of three, she's nevertheless putting in long hours during the trials.

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