News By: Emily Norris

Because nothing stands still for very long in the clinical research enterprise and time is a precious commodity, rather than coming in the form of full-fledged, long-term programs focused on their needs, ongoing education for principal investigators (PIs) tasked with leading clinical trial teams often comes in other guises. These may include learning in an on-the-job manner, through structured (though perhaps scattered) courses, by attending sponsor/contract research organization–conducted trainings, or by completing online modules on specialized topics.

Those in clinical research who most strongly believe the old saying about how “the best offense is a good defense” may often be the same people who have good reason to understand that a regulatory inspection, sponsor audit, or period of institutional review board (IRB) scrutiny could descend upon their study site at any time, announced or unannounced, so the best tactic is ongoing vigilance.

In his August 20 ACRP Webinar on “Ethical Principles in Clinical Research,” presenter James Riddle, MSCE, CIP, CPIA, CRQM, Senior Vice President for Global Review Operations with Advarra, will explain how the Belmont Report has stood the test of time since its earliest days of formation to address ethical issues in human subject research in the 1970s, right up to the present.

Attending my first ACRP Annual Conference as a proud member of Black Women In Clinical Research and a 2025 ACRP Continuing Education Grant recipient was nothing short of transformative. This year’s conference in New Orleans brought together more than 1,100 professionals committed to advancing equity, excellence, and innovation in clinical research, and I was honored to be in that number.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly every facet of healthcare, and clinical research was no exception. Amid the challenges, one academic medical center demonstrated notable workforce stability. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science offers a compelling look at how Duke University in North Carolina managed turnover and internal workforce movement—termed “turbulence”—among clinical research professionals from 2016 through 2024.