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 across borders and therapy areas (oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular, rare disease, gene therapy);
• practical lessons on in-house vs. outsourced monitoring, risk-based quality management, and building site relationships that last;
• the future of gene-therapy trials—and the three traits he’d engineer into a “perfect” clinical site;

Whether you’re running your first study or steering an entire portfolio, Doug’s candor and hard-won playbook will leave you with fresh tactics—and a few laughs—to bring back to your own trials.

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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. The panel marks Alan Turing’s 113th birthday, trades “one thing I wish AI could do today,” and tackles myths around machine learning in healthcare. Looking ahead five-to-ten years, Thomas sketches a future of decentralised, patient-centric trials, but warns of regulatory and data-governance hurdles that still loom. New to the field? Stick around for book picks, career tips and a closing thought experiment for Turing himself.

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, and points listeners to resources like the International Association of Clinical Research Nurses (IACRN) that are shaping the profession’s future. Whether you’re curious about clinical trials or considering a career in research nursing, this candid conversation offers an inspiring, insider’s guide to the vital work of CRNs.