By Clinical Research News Staff 

November 7, 2024 | In this month’s episode of the Scope of Things, host Deborah Borfitz gives you the latest news on a study for AI system for drug repurposing, a window trial for a new triple-negative breast cancer treatment, Jill Pellegrino’s transition from CVS to AutoCruitment, publication bias with industry sponsored studies for psychiatric drugs, and more.  

We also have expert input from SCOPE Europe 2024. Nicole Stanthsbury, head of Global Clinical Operations at Premier Research, Farrell Healion, head of Emerging Technologies at AstraZeneca, and Jonathan Crowther, head of Predictive Analytics, PRD (OARS) at Pfizer, share their thoughts on how AI is being used for clinical trials, their pick of the 2024 rising star in the clinical research ecosystem, and the most hotly-debated topics in trial planning and execution. 

SHOW NOTES 

News Roundup  

AI for drug repurposing  

• Study in Nature Medicine  

Window trial for new breast cancer approach  

• Study in Science Advances  

• Article in Bio-IT World   

Prescreening regimen of AutoCruitment  

• Article in Clinical Research News  

• Episode 12 guest appearance on podcast   

Trials needing placental pathology  

• Opinion piece in Trends in Molecular Medicine  

Fit-for-purpose ethical oversight  

• Special communication in JAMA   

“Sponsorship effect” on psychiatric drug trials  

• Study in Journal of Political Economy  

GUEST BIOS 

Nicole Stansbury, Head of Global Clinical Operations, Premier Research  
Nicole Stansbury, Senior Vice President, Global Clinical Operations, is responsible for oversight of clinical operations which includes clinical strategy and delivery, study start up, central monitoring, and site management and risk-based monitoring at Premier Research. She leverages an innovative, data-driven approach and more than 25 years of industry experience to help sponsors address the rapidly evolving demands of the clinical development industry. In her role, Stansbury is focused on finding ways to simplify process and improve technology adoption to decrease the time, cost, complexity, and risk of delivering clinical research. Prior to joining Premier Research, Stansbury held various CRO leadership positions where she was instrumental in the strategic implementation of risk-based monitoring, central monitoring and continuous improvement of clinical operations processes. Stansbury has been co-lead for the Association of Clinical Research Organizations Risk-Based Monitoring (ACRO RBM) Working Group working with TransCelerate and the FDA since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M and a Lean Six Sigma – Yellow Belt certification. 

Farrell Healion, Head of Emerging Technologies, AstraZeneca  
Farrell Healion is currently Senior Director Emerging Technologies, Global Clinical Solutions at AstraZeneca, where he leads the operational readiness delivery to scale up new technologies to be used in their clinical trials. He previously led their Digital Patient Solutions team that deliver patient-facing Digital Health Technologies(DHTs) such as eCOA across the AstraZeneca portfolio. Starting out as an eCOA Developer at CRF Health, Farrell then moved through various technical leadership roles eventually leading the Technical and Project Management Office in Signant Health before moving to AstraZeneca. He is passionate about scaling up the use of patient and site-centric new DHTs in Clinical Trials, getting involved with various industry work groups such as DTRA and the eCOA Consortium. He is also the 2023 winner in Pharmatimes International Clinical Researcher of the Year award in the Decentralised Solutions category. 

Jonathan Crowther, Head of Predictive Analytics, PRD (OARS), Pfizer  
With a keen eye for Strategic Vision, Crowther has been at the forefront of advancing analytical capabilities, particularly in site intelligence, operational metrics, and quality indicators. His prowess in Digital Transformation has been instrumental in the on-time delivery and precision of a diverse suite of predictive models, leveraging ML/AI and Generative AI technologies. His commitment to Data Strategies and analytical thinking has ensured project and portfolio deliveries are not just timely but also rooted in process improvement. He coordinates work with an agile mindset, ensuring products are delivered with consistency and precision. His technical acumen extends to Natural Language Processing (NLP), Business Intelligence (BI), data visualization, and cloud platforms including AWS, positioning him at the intersection of strategy and technology. 

The Scope of Things podcast explores clinical research and its possibilities, promise, and pitfalls. Clinical Research News senior writer, Deborah Borfitz, welcomes guests who are visionaries closest to the topics, but who can still see past their piece of the puzzle. Focusing on game-changing trends and out-of-the-box operational approaches in the clinical research field, the Scope of Things podcast is your no-nonsense, insider’s look at clinical research today.