Clinical Trial Files

Clinical trials are the backbone of evidence-based medicine—but too often, they struggle with inefficiency, poor recruitment, and avoidable design flaws. In this episode of Clinical Trial Files , we’re joined by Shaun Treweek, Professor of Health Services Research and a leading voice in clinical trial methodology. Shaun shares his perspective on why so many trials fail to recruit as planned, what...

In this episode of Clinical Trial Files , we’re joined by Akanksha Jain, a clinical research quality and data professional with deep expertise spanning biostatistics, data management, risk-based quality management (RBQM), and trial oversight. Akanksha shares her career journey from a strong foundation in statistics into clinical research, offering a unique perspective on how data, quality, and ope...

In this episode of Clinical Trial Files , we sit down with Karen Cloete, founder of TASK Research Academy, to explore how clinical research training can, and must, evolve beyond silos and checklists. With over 17 years of experience across clinical operations, monitoring, audits, compliance, and sponsor oversight, Karen shares her unconventional journey into clinical trials and how seeing the indu...

In this compelling episode of Clinical Trial Files , hosts Karin Avila and Taymeyah Al‑Toubah sit down with Dr. Hillary Edwards from the University of Maryland’s Patients Program. They explore the evolution of patient‑centered and ethical clinical research—from historical wrongs like the Nuremberg Trials and Tuskegee to modern movements such as the formation of PCORI and the impact of COVID‑19 in...

In this inspiring episode of Clinical Trial Files , Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero, triple-board-certified oncologist and endocrinologist at the NIH, shares her deeply personal journey from internal medicine to leading global research on rare endocrine cancers. Joined by hosts Taymeyah Al-Toubah, Karin Avila, and Roberto Torres, Dr. Del Rivero reflects on overcoming early career setbacks, the value of men...

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Patryk Mikucki, Vice President and Global Head of Country Operations at Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Diseases. With over 25 years of experience across veterinary medicine, academia, and the pharmaceutical industry, Patryk brings a bold, deeply human perspective to the world of clinical trials. From his unexpected career journey—starting with animal ethics co...

Veteran clinical-operations leader Doug Schantz joins Clinical Trial Files to trace a career that spans emergency-room stretchers and first-in-human gene-therapy trials. In this lively conversation Doug unpacks: how a paramedic’s mindset shaped his approach to Phase 1-4 global programs at Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Alexion, and AskBio; the biggest headaches—and hidden advantages—of running studies acros...

Physicist-turned-NLP expert Thomas Wood joins hosts Karin and Taymeyah to explore how artificial intelligence is shortening the road from protocol to patient. Thomas recounts founding Fast Data Science, explains why a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant sparked his open-source Clinical Trial Risk Tool, and reveals the AI workflows already cutting months—and millions—from large pharma studies...

Join us as seasoned Clinical Research Nurse (CRN) Elyce takes us inside the intersection of science, ethics, and compassionate patient care. Tracing the CRN role’s evolution—from navigating rigid study protocols to championing patient-centered advocacy—Elyce reveals the ethical tightropes nurses walk, the trust they build, and the values that guide them. She shares personal stories, career advice,...

Clinical trials affect millions—but most people have no idea how they actually work. In our pilot episode, meet your cohosts Roberto Torres, Taymeyah Al-Toubah, and Karin Avila as they share their personal paths into research and why this field matters more than ever. From the human impact of oncology trials to how natural disasters can disrupt research, this episode dives into the real challenges...