Research Participant Spotlight: Cincinnati Children's RPAC Member Monica Banks

Monica Banks - CCHMC RPAC Member

Monica Banks, a member of Cincinnati Children's Research Participant Advisory Council (RPAC), was invited to share her experiences and perspectives on her research journey as a parent and family advocate. She also discussed the value of researchers seeking RPAC feedback to help ensure studies are designed with participants and families in mind.

Tell us a little about you!

I am a wife, mom of two amazing young adults, owner of a hair salon, and patient advocate. My husband, Ben, and I have been married for 20 years, and our children, Isabel and Aidan, are the center of our world. Outside of advocacy work, I enjoy running, spending time outdoors, reading, and making memories with my family. I also love finding opportunities to connect people and help make systems work better for the families they serve.

Can you share a little bit about your journey here at Cincinnati Children’s, including your research experiences?

My journey with Cincinnati Children’s began as a parent navigating complex medical care and research opportunities for my daughter. Through that experience, I saw firsthand how important research is to improving the lives of children and families. Over time, I became increasingly involved as a patient and family advocate, working alongside researchers to help ensure that studies reflect the needs, concerns, and realities of the families they hope to serve.

Serving on RPAC has been one of the most meaningful parts of that journey. It has allowed me to bring the patient and family perspective directly into research discussions, helping researchers design studies that are more accessible, relevant, and participant-centered.

What would you say to researchers about the RPAC?…about why they should come to the RPAC?

The RPAC gives researchers access to something they can’t get from data alone: the lived experience of patients and families.

Researchers spend years becoming experts in their fields. RPAC members are experts in what it feels like to live with a condition, participate in research, manage complex care, and balance all of that with everyday life. Bringing your project to the RPAC can help identify barriers, improve recruitment and retention, strengthen study materials, and ensure your research is designed with participants rather than just for them.

The best research happens when researchers and families work as partners. RPAC helps make that partnership possible. Families may not have the scientific expertise of researchers, but they are experts in living the experience. When those perspectives come together, research becomes stronger, more meaningful, and more impactful.

About the Research Participant Advisory Group (RPAG). The RPAG includes the University of Cincinnati RPAC, the Cincinnati Children’s RPAC, and the West End Community Research Advisory Board. These are resources available to anyone at Cincinnati Children’s or the University of Cincinnati who are interested in learning the research participant or community perspective and improving how research is conducted at the hospital or out in the community. If you are interested in seeking feedback from one of these groups at one of our meetings, or through electronic survey, please contact Julie Wijesooriya: Julie.Wijesooriya@cchmc.org.