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SCRS Talks

Society for Clinical Research Sites

SCRS Talks, hosted by the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), is a platform for clinical research industry professionals to hear about valuable information shaping the research industry today. These short interviews will provide new perspectives and insights on pressing topics, current events, and the research community.

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20 episodes
weekly
Avg 18 min
English

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Monday · 21 min
Operation Trialblazer: Bridging Sites and Sponsors
Jimmy Bechtel talks with Catherine Gregor, Chief Clinical Trial Officer at Florence Healthcare, about Operation Trialblazer and what it means for sites and sponsors. Drawing on her experience running sites (including at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center) and now working in trial technology, Catherine unpacks why regulatory ambiguity holds both sides back, how CRAs lose major visit time to admin work instead of clinical review, and why data still moves so inefficiently between sites and sponsors. The conversation touches on AI's potential to ease that burden, what rising eTMF pass rates really signal, and what it will take for sites to move faster without losing critical context.
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September 8 · 8 min
Inside the Summit Standout Awards
Lauren Stockwell sits down with Rick Greenfield, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of RealTime eClinical Solutions, to talk about three awards making their debut at the 2026 Global Site Solutions Summit Eagle Awards Gala. Rick and Lauren break down what each award is looking for, from the best exhibit booth in the hall to the person who best embodies the spirit of the summit itself. The bulk of the conversation centers on the Bright Idea Award, which is open to anyone across sites, sponsors, CROs, and vendors who has a solution worth sharing with the industry. Rick also makes a case for why participant experience is one of the biggest areas ripe for a fresh idea. If you are heading to Global this October and have been sitting on an idea or just want to know what to look forward to at the gala, this is a quick and worthwhile listen.
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August 28 · 10 min
Simplify the Work; Lead the Science: EHR2Sponsor
In this episode of SCRS Talks, Lauren Stockwell sits down with Dave Damrau, VP of Global Clinical Operations for the Americas, and Amy Cramer, Global Head of eSource Data Acquisition, both from Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, to unpack J&J's EHR to Sponsor initiative. They discuss why duplicative data entry remains one of the biggest burdens on site staff, what the data shows about the time and error costs of manual transcription, and how eSource solutions are already improving data accuracy. Dave and Amy walk through why oncology became the starting point for this work, what site-driven collaboration has meant for adoption, and what's next as J&J expands EHR to Sponsor into additional therapeutic areas in 2027. Tune in to hear how this initiative aims to reduce friction for sites while creating a more efficient, connected model for clinical research. Join Dave and Amy for the J&J SCRS Summit EHR Action Panel on October 18th from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.
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August 24 · 27 min
Turning Clinical Trial Leftovers Into Global Impact
What happens to unused medical supplies when a clinical trial ends? For years the answer was simple: destroy them. Josh Kravitz (MedSurplus Alliance) and Greg Folz (Kits4Life) join Jimmy Bechtel to tell the story of how a stack of boxes, a looming Site Tank deadline, and a crisis in the Congo turned into a program that has now impacted over 6 million lives worldwide. Greg walks through the moment his research staff refused to keep destroying usable supplies, and how that frustration became an idea that won on stage and grew into an industry wide movement. Josh breaks down how trusted partnerships and strict chain of custody get donated supplies from a research site to a clinic or classroom halfway around the world. It's a conversation about waste, generosity, and what's possible when sites push their sponsors to think differently about what happens after a trial ends.
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August 17 · 20 min
Fixing the Foundations of Clinical Trial Execution
Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Dr. Tia Warrick, CEO of Lesous Consulting, to talk about what actually drives clinical trial failures and what the industry can do about it. With nearly a decade of experience spanning coordinator to CEO, Dr. Warrick brings a ground-level perspective to a problem that costs the industry billions. The conversation covers why so many trials struggle before enrollment even begins, the difference between foundational certifications and true skills-based competency, and what it means that roughly a third of clinical trial failures trace back to workforce gaps we actually have the power to fix. Dr. Warrick also shares her take on where AI fits in, and why it is a useful tool but not a replacement for people who truly know their roles. If your team is thinking about how to build a more resilient, capable workforce and set trials up for success from day one, this episode is worth your time.
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August 10 · 21 min
Patchwork Collective: Pharma to Table
In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Brian Burkhardt of the Oliver Patch Project and Andy Shepherd of Project Outrun to talk about the Patchwork Collective, a growing coalition of pediatric oncology advocacy organizations working to bridge the gap between families battling childhood cancer and the clinical trial world. From a "Pharma at the Table" activation at SCOPE to the upcoming Patches & Pairs launch at Give Kids The World, Brian and Andy share how relationship-building and education are the keys to advancing pediatric representation in clinical research.
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August 3 · 21 min
Beyond Transactions: What Site Ambassadorship Really Means
Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Kimberly Staeck, Head of Global Site Partnerships and Trial Enablement Solutions at Syneos Health, to dig into what it really means to treat sites as partners rather than execution engines. Kimberly brings two decades of operational and partnership experience to a conversation that gets honest about where the industry falls short. They cover why sites have learned to tell the difference between being heard and actually listened to, what closing the feedback loop looks like in practice, and why early site involvement in protocol development is a risk mitigation strategy, not a delay. Kimberly also makes a case for shifting away from activity-based metrics and toward shared outcomes that reflect the real health of a partnership. The throughline is simple: when sites feel valued and supported, patients get better care, staff stay in the field longer, and trials perform. If your organization is serious about moving from transactional to transformational site relationships, this one is worth your time.
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July 28 · 18 min
How Agentic AI Is Transforming Clinical Research Site Operations
Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Brooklyn Montgomery, Business Development Director at Deep Intelligent Pharma (DIP), to explore how agentic AI is reshaping the way clinical research sites operate. Brooklyn breaks down where AI delivers real value for physician-led research, what meaningful adoption actually looks like at the site level, and the three questions every site should answer before spending a dollar on AI tools. The conversation also covers how mentorship and technology work together to close the gap between academic research and clinical execution, and where sites are headed as they move from execution partners to upstream contributors in trial design. Disclaimer: The content of this article reflects interview perspectives and is intended for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute any commitment, representation, or guarantee regarding the performance or outcomes of any product or service. Actual results may vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, study design, data quality, regulatory requirements, and implementation conditions.
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July 20 · 12 min
Features of Study Feasibility Technology
Kathy Cox and Ryan Johnsen of Interspond discuss how their platform CROWN is reshaping the study feasibility process for clinical research sites. Rather than sites waiting to be contacted, CROWN puts the power in their hands with a web-based marketplace where they can browse opportunities, manage their profile, and respond to time-sensitive requests all in one place. The result is a smarter, less disruptive feasibility experience built with sites at the center.
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July 13 · 18 min
K2 Medical Research and Populace Health on Winning in CNS
In this episode of SCRS Talks, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Sean Stanton, Founder and CEO of K2 Medical Research, and Christian Burns, Founder and President of Populus Health, to explore how their two organizations are working together to advance CNS drug development. With decades of combined experience across psychiatry, neurology, and neurodegeneration, Sean and Christian discuss what makes CNS trials uniquely challenging, what it takes to earn and maintain trust with sponsors and CROs, and why communication is just as critical as performance metrics. They also share their outlook on the future of the space, from biomarkers and precision health to the growing potential of psychedelics across therapeutic areas, and why CNS research feels less like a job and more like a mission.
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July 6 · 22 min
The Missing Voice in AI Drug Development
In this episode of SCRS Talks, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Donna Cryer, Chief Patient Officer at Cryer Health and active FDA patient advocate, to explore the critical difference between patient inclusion and patient leadership in drug development. Drawing on her own lifelong experience as a patient, Donna makes the case for why having patients in real positions of authority is not just a values statement but a strategic necessity, especially as AI becomes more embedded in every stage of the research process. From AI governance and model training to the risks of replacing human experience with simulated data, this conversation challenges the industry to stop treating patients as an afterthought and start building their perspectives into the foundation of how research gets done.
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June 29 · 10 min
AI at Your Site: Compliance and What It Takes
AI is moving fast, and research sites are feeling the pressure to keep up. But before diving in, there are some foundational questions every site should be asking. Jimmy sits down with Marc Wartenberger, VP of Compliance and Security at CRIO, to break down what a defensible AI validation approach actually looks like, why under-documentation is the most common compliance mistake sites are making right now, and what the January 2026 FDA and EMA joint guidance means for day-to-day site operations. If your site is anywhere on the AI journey, this one is worth your time.
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June 22 · 22 min
From Reactive to Real-Time: How AI Is Reshaping Clinical Trial Operations
Josh Stent, CEO of Momentum Clinical Research, joins Jimmy Bechtel to share how his 19-site network in Australia and New Zealand is using AI and automation to cut administrative burden, improve data accuracy, and get more time back for patients. From centralized data reporting to automated invoicing and smarter recruitment funnels, this episode breaks down what practical AI adoption actually looks like at the site level.
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June 15 · 15 min
Rethinking Rare Disease: Innovation and What's Next
The rare disease space is often overlooked, but it may be the most important laboratory we have for the future of medicine. Jimmy sits down with Rob Freishtat, board member of the Foundation for mRNA Medicines, to talk about what is actually driving collaboration between academic institutions and industry, what a changing regulatory landscape means for sites, and why financial viability and patient access are not as opposed as people think. Tune in now.
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June 8 · 18 min
Built by Sites, For Sites: How Site Centric is Rethinking Clinical Trial Technology
What happens when a research site gets so frustrated with disconnected systems that they decide to build their own? In this episode, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Brian Hunter, COO, and Florin Petrutiu, CIO of Site Centric, to hear exactly that story. Born out of CNS Healthcare over 18 years ago, Site Centric has evolved from an internal workaround into a full CTMS platform now available to sites everywhere. Brian and Florin share how their hands-on site experience shaped every corner of the platform, how they're integrating AI tools without adding operational burden, and why becoming an SCRS Global Impact Partner felt like a natural next step.
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May 25 · 22 min
Building a Sponsor of Choice: How Keenova is Redefining Site Partnership
What does it actually mean to be a sponsor of choice? In this episode, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Carrie Lewis and Suzy Montanye from Keenova to find out. The two share how the newly formed company, born from the merger of Mallinckrodt and Endo, is building a site partnership model grounded in accountability, transparency, and real feedback. From their site operational advisory board to a dedicated site relationship manager role, Keenova is making the case that mid-sized sponsors can operate like industry leaders.
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May 18 · 21 min
From Averages to Individuals: How AI and Embedded Research Are Reshaping Patient Care
Jimmy Bechtel sits down with John Worden, Chief Commercial Officer at Javara, to explore how AI-driven data analysis is moving clinical research and patient care away from one-size-fits-all medicine toward truly personalized treatment pathways. They discuss how embedded research sites inside healthcare systems are uniquely positioned to put these tools to work, what end-to-end data integration means for feasibility, patient identification, and long-term outcomes, and why scaling AI in healthcare is ultimately less of a technology problem and more of a trust and collaboration problem. John also shares a real-world example of how the research process led to a life-changing diagnosis for a patient who almost slipped through the cracks.
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May 11 · 18 min
Add-On to All-In: Building a Real AI Strategy in Clinical Research
Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Dr. Anastasia Christianson, former senior innovation leader at Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, to talk about what a real AI strategy actually looks like in clinical research. They dig into why isolated pilots fall short, how to think about AI as a process change rather than a tool add-on, and where the biggest missed opportunities are right now. Dr. Christianson also shares her take on navigating evolving regulations and paints a picture of where clinical trials are headed over the next three to five years, including a future where no trial launches without first being simulated end to end.
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May 7 · 10 min
The Hidden Costs Workshop Is Heading Your Way
Every site absorbs costs that never show up in a budget. Coordinator overtime, screen failures, startup inefficiencies, technology burden — these aren't edge cases, they're everyday realities. And over time, they're what push good investigators out of research for good. Lauren Stockwell sits down with Mike Pierre, Project Manager at SCRS, to talk about the Hidden Costs Workshop, why it was created, and what sites, sponsors, and CROs actually walk away with after four hours in that room together. If you have ever struggled to justify a budget line or wondered why your numbers never seem to add up, this one is for you.
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May 4 · 17 min
No More Double Entry: How CRIO and Medidata Are Bridging eSource and EDC for Every Site
Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Kristen Bosse, VP of Product Development at CRIO, and Samir Jain, VP of Product Management at Medidata, to talk about a collaboration that has been a long time coming. Together they break down why eSource to EDC integration has historically been out of reach for dedicated research sites, what has made it so hard to do at scale, and how their joint solution is changing that. They also get into what sites actually gain when manual data transcription is taken off their plate and what the path to getting started looks like for sites running CRIO on Rave today.
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