Working with Stars: Meet Dr. Robert Gooding

Dr. Robert Gooding is a seasoned PV expert with a broad range of experience, consistently delivering high-quality operational and strategic support across every project he undertakes. Just as impressive is his perspective on resilience, teamwork, and why he is always striving to do his best. His insights are both motivating and very inspiring.

What first led you into pharmacovigilance?

After completing my radiology specialty training, I worked in cancer research before being asked to develop adverse event procedures. That sparked my interest, and over time I became increasingly fascinated by how adverse event reporting connects to clinical trials, signal detection, aggregate reporting, and the entire drug development process—from early human studies through to post-marketing surveillance. You get to see a new therapeutic drug's progress through every stage and eventually reach patients. That is one of the reasons I chose to build my career in pharmacovigilance.

How long have you worked in pharmacovigilance?

I have worked in pharmacovigilance for around 15 years and have more than 20 years of experience when my broader research background is included.

What values have shaped your professional success?

I enjoy the challenges as much as the successes. Of course, we do not like it when things go wrong, but that's part of the process. Whatever happens, you must remain positive and hopeful. I always aim to do my absolute best and go beyond what is expected. I try to do things the right way, give every project my full attention, and treat each project as though it is the most important project I have ever worked on. Being a good team member is equally important. Everyone is different, and some people are more challenging to work with than others, but I always try to find the positives and work well with everyone. You can learn something from everybody. People bring different experiences and perspectives that you may never have considered. You cannot grow in isolation - you need the successes and the setbacks, the highs and the lows, and the insights of others.

If you could change one thing about pharmacovigilance, what would it be?

I would improve collaboration between agencies and reduce duplication in safety reporting across countries. I once submitted a case to the EMA, only to be told six months later that we urgently needed to submit what appeared to be a new case. It turned out to be exactly the same one, which had circulated between multiple agencies before coming back to the company that first filed the report. Experiences like that show that there's still room to improve efficiency.

What do you enjoy about consulting, and about working with JPCC?

I enjoy the flexibility and the opportunity to work with different companies, each with its own ways of working and solving problems. At JPCC, we are genuinely collaborative. Everyone is committed to delivering excellent work, supporting one another, and building strong relationships with our clients. The breadth of knowledge within the team is exceptional. We have consultants from around the world, each bringing different expertise and perspectives. When we put our heads together, we find creative solutions and achieve impressive results. It is one of the strongest groups of people I have ever worked with.

What did you want to be as a child?

I have always wanted to be a physician. Later, I discovered that practicing medicine could also lead to careers in research, drug safety, and clinical development - areas I had never imagined as a child but have come to enjoy immensely.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

A wide variety of things! I enjoy golfing with my son, travelling with my wife, playing pickleball, gardening, cycling, going to the gym, and playing both the piano and guitar.

What advice would you offer to others?

If you have the opportunity, work in another country—or at least another region. People around the world share many of the same hopes, ambitions, and values. Taking the time to understand different cultures and ways of working, can broaden your perspective enormously. I lived in Germany for a period of time, and it had a profound impact on how I see the world.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered as someone who gave my very best - my energy, my focus, and my full commitment - to whatever I was doing. I believe that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well!

See Robert Gooding profile here.