LARA
YAMAGATA
MSc Nursing
Medical writer and editor specialising in regulatory quality and patient communication
I help pharma teams, agencies and health organisations develop and refine medical content for regulators, healthcare professionals and patients.
Nurse-trained medical writer | 7+ years’ experience | UK-based, supporting international teams in English
Who I support
I work with organisations that need medically accurate content shaped for the right audience and purpose.
Pharma and biotech teams
Writing, editing and quality review across clinical, regulatory and patient-facing documents.
Medical communications and writing agencies
Reliable specialist or overflow support for scientific, editorial and patient communication projects.
Healthcare organisations, publishers and health brands
Evidence-based content that helps patients and public audiences understand medical information and make informed decisions.
Services
Patient and public communication
Evidence-based medical content that helps patients, carers and public audiences understand health information without losing clinical accuracy.
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Patient leaflets and condition or treatment explainers
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Plain-language summaries of clinical trials and publications
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Patient-facing clinical trial materials
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Patient education posters
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Infographics and visual summaries
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Consumer health articles and web content
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Educational materials for clinics and public health initiatives
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Plain-language adaptation of technical content
Editorial and quality review
Independent review and refinement of medical and scientific documents that need to be accurate, consistent and ready for their intended audience.
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Medical and scientific editing
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Quality review and QC of regulatory and safety documents
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Structural, terminology and consistency review
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Cross-document and source-material alignment
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Reference, data and internal consistency checks
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Rewriting and refinement of existing content
Regulatory writing
Specialist writing support for clinical development, regulatory and scientific communication projects.
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Clinical study protocols and protocol amendments
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Clinical study reports
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Common Technical Document modules 2.5 and 2.7
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Investigator’s Brochures and updates
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Regulatory response documents
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Journal manuscripts and conference abstracts based on clinical trial data
What I bring to projects
Regulatory and scientific depth
More than seven years of experience developing and reviewing complex clinical and regulatory documents across multiple therapeutic areas and stages of development.
Clinical insight
My nursing background helps me understand how medical information is interpreted in real clinical settings, where misunderstandings arise and what different audiences need to know.
Editorial judgement
I look beyond grammar to assess scientific accuracy, structure, consistency, evidence representation and suitability for the intended audience.
Flexible international support
I provide clearly scoped writing, editing and quality-review support for agencies and life sciences teams, working independently or alongside wider project teams.
About
I am a medical writer and editor with over seven years of experience supporting pharmaceutical companies, agencies and healthcare organisations.
Before I started medical writing, I was a nurse in an acute cardiology setting. My nursing background shaped how I communicate medical information. It taught me to consider not only whether information is clinically accurate, but also whether it is clear and appropriate for the person receiving it.
Since moving into medical writing, I have developed and reviewed complex clinical and regulatory documents across multiple therapeutic areas. I now apply that experience across regulatory quality review, medical editing and patient communication, to help teams produce clinically accurate content which is suited to its intended audience.
I am based in the UK and provide English-language writing and editorial support to international teams.
Therapeutic Expertise
I have supported projects across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including:
Oncology · Haematology · Immunology · Rare diseases · Neurology · Ophthalmology · Cardiology · Renal care · Infectious diseases · Women’s health · Dermatology
My clinical background provides additional insight into cardiovascular disease, patient communication and the practical use of medical information in healthcare settings.
How I Work
Scope
I begin by confirming the audience, purpose, deliverables, source materials and review requirements so that expectations are defined from the outset.
Independent delivery
I work confidently with complex medical and scientific content, providing clearly scoped writing, editing or quality-review support with minimal oversight where appropriate.
Collaboration
When collaboration is required, I communicate clearly and provide transparent updates throughout the assignment.
Rigorous review
Before delivery, I assess the content for medical accuracy, consistency, evidence representation and suitability for the intended audience.
Qualifications
Master of Science in Nursing
University of Dundee, 2014 to 2018
Merit
Bachelor of Science with Honours in Nursing
University of Malta, 2009 to 2012
First Class Honours