News By: Gary Cramer

For the conference's Workforce & Professional Development track, while some presenters at ACRP 2026 spoke to the importance of a nourishing approach to onboarding for early-talent retention on clinical trials teams, others considered the nuances of workplace dynamics, career growth, and developing a menu of new skills over the long term.

In recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month this May, ACRP asked Narae Christina Kim, MPH, a Director with Huron Consulting Group, a global professional services firm with extensive experience in education and research, to share her thoughts on the importance that AANHPI heritage has had in her life and more broadly in the clinical research enterprise, both for participants and professionals.

ACRP Fellow Erika Stevens, MA, FACRP, reflects on her ongoing campaign for recognition of the clinical research industry as a profession, how change is the one constant in the industry, and the critical need for robust clinical development activities to treat patients and improve health outcomes.

The design of clinical trials is shifting from “one-off” to continuous, or “always-on,” trials. This shift is made possible by the adoption of a range of decentralized clinical trial technologies, real-time data capture, and adaptive trial designs, which encourage flexible models of research. The goal of continuous trials is to offer the potential for continuous data collection, hypothesis generation, and data analysis, and hence the generation of new evidence over time.

“You cannot lead an organization beyond your capacity to lead yourself,” said career coach Muriel Maignan Wilkins, CEO and Founder of Paravis Partners, as she and other expert panelists offered advice and insights on leadership as a clinical trial competency during a Signature Series gathering on Sunday (April 26) at ACRP 2026 in Orlando.