Note to File is a podcast for clinical research sites - interviews, best practices, and candid commentary from Brad Hightower, founder of Hightower Clinical and clinical research professional.
Note to File
Claim This Podcastby Brad Hightower
4.8(39 reviews)
158 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
75
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality74
Social91
YouTube93
Engagement51
Podcast Overview
Note to File is a podcast for clinical research sites - interviews, best practices, and candid commentary from Brad Hightower, founder of Hightower Clinical and clinical research professional.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/14/2020
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75
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality74
Social91
YouTube93
Engagement51
8
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excellent
Episode Length
33 minutes
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Recent Episodes
March 30, 2026
Trial Naming Ethics, Branding vs. Recruitment, and the Site Staffing Squeeze
<p>Today on Note to File, we riff on everything from **Air Max Day** to the very real challenges facing clinical trial sites in 2026.</p> <p>We start light with sneaker talk and "national days," then dive into three meaty topics for the clinical research community:</p> <p>1. **The Ethics & Psychology of Trial Acronyms** <br /> - Are names like **HERCULES**, **IRONMAN**, or **CINDERELLA** harmless branding or subtle false promises? <br /> - How mythological or aspirational names can shape **patient expectations**, hope, and decision‑making. <br /> - Why ultra-generic names like "SUMMIT" or cryptic codes like *D6‑75309‑0001* both cause headaches for sites, sponsors, and indexing.</p> <p>2. **Branding Clinical Trials vs. Actually Recruiting Patients** <br /> - The difference between **drug branding** (post‑market) and **trial advertising** (short‑lived, action‑oriented). <br /> - Why patients don't care about the "Cinderella Trial" – they care about **their pain, their disease, and their options**. <br /> - How segmenting your audience and tailoring creative (rather than forcing one unified "brand") can drive better recruitment and diversity. <br /> - Real‑world example: why ads showing **real pain and limitation** outperformed "happy, active" imagery for phantom limb pain trials.</p> <p>3. **Site Staffing: Slightly Better, Still Rough** <br /> - Why site org charts are usually **flat**, with limited traditional "career ladder" for coordinators. <br /> - The ongoing tension between **sites vs. CRO/CRA roles**: more money and prestige vs. travel, burnout, and less flexibility. <br /> - How **culture, flexibility, learning opportunities, and fair pay** can keep great staff at sites. <br /> - Ideas for giving coordinators **growth without fake titles**: exposure to budgets, BD, regulatory, data, and operations.</p> <p>Along the way, we talk about: </p> <p>- Equal Pay Day and how **structural disparities** show up in research careers <br /> - The impact of **remote monitoring** on CRA life <br /> - Why "butts in seats 8–5" is a terrible proxy for productivity <br /> - How sites can lean into their strengths to become **great places to build a career**, not just a stepping stone</p> <p>If you're a **site owner, coordinator, CRA, sponsor, or vendor** trying to navigate recruitment, staffing, and branding in real life (not in pitch decks), this one's for you. </p> <p>**Subscribe** for more candid, unfiltered conversations about the clinical research industry, and check out more at **notetofilepodcast.com**.</p>
March 30, 2026
Clinical Trials, Creepy Data, and Corporate Bullshit
<p>It's March 24th and we're back with another **Sticky Notes** edition of **Note to File: A Clinical Research Podcast**—where we mix serious industry topics with just the right amount of nonsense.</p> <p>In this episode, we cover:</p> <p>- 🥩 **National Cheesesteak Day** (plus cocktails, "National Stephanie Day," and the strangely titled *International Day for the Right to the Truth…*) <br /> - 💊 **National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day** – why women are disproportionately affected, and how trial design and dosing play a role <br /> - 🧩 **ICON + Advarra's "research-ready, connected site network"** – is this actually helping sites, or just more sponsor/CRO-controlled tech dumped on them? <br /> - 📊 **Who owns your site data?** We dig into how IRBs and vendors may be using operational data for site selection and "intelligence" <br /> - 🧪 **Dana-Farber's $15M NIH settlement** over manipulated images – what this says about accountability in academic research <br /> - 💼 **New study on "corporate bullshit"** – why people who see through buzzwords and jargon may actually be *better* at their jobs (and why Kool-Aid drinkers might be happier)</p> <p>If you work at a site, sponsor, CRO, IRB, or anywhere in the clinical trial ecosystem—and you're tired of sanitized, corporate-approved narratives—this one's for you.</p> <p>---</p> <p>### 🔖 Suggested Timestamps<br /> 0:00 – Cold open <br /> 2:13 – Welcome to Note to File <br /> 2:41 – Spring, spring break, and weather nonsense <br /> 4:09 – National Cheesesteak Day & the "day of the day" rundown <br /> 6:29 – National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day (and gender differences) <br /> 9:12 – ICON + Advarra "research-ready" network – what does this really mean for sites? <br /> 12:06 – Are vendors mining site data for sponsors? Data ownership & ethics <br /> 17:52 – Dana-Farber $15M NIH settlement over manipulated data <br /> 22:02 – Study: corporate bullshit, buzzwords, and job performance <br /> 25:10 – Kool-Aid, happiness, and critical thinking at work <br /> 26:31 – Wrap-up</p> <p>---</p> <p>**About Note to File** <br /> Note to File is a clinical research podcast featuring interviews, candid commentary, and general nonsense for the clinical research community. No corporate spin, no paid messaging—just real talk from people in the trenches.</p> <p>🌐 More at: **notetofilepodcast.com** </p> <p>---</p> <p>#ClinicalResearch #ClinicalTrials #ResearchSites #Advarra #ICON #NIH #DanaFarber #Pharma #CRAlife #NoteToFile #HealthcareData #WorkCulture</p>
March 27, 2026
Will Gen Z Fix What's Broken in Clinical Trials?
<p>Ever feel like life – and clinical research – are both a little chaotic and unpredictable… kind of like March weather and tornado season in Oklahoma?</p> <p>In this **Sticky Notes** episode of **Note to File**, Brad and Denali kick things off with some real-life banter: <br /> - Spring break in **Oklahoma City** <br /> - Unseasonably **90-degree** days <br /> - The joy and dread of **tornado-adjacent season** <br /> - How March and April always seem like a weather "crap shoot" </p> <p>From there, we pivot back into the spirit of Note to File: candid, unscripted conversation for the **clinical research community**. If you're a CRC, coordinator, site owner, CRA, or just clinical-research-curious, this is your space to hang out, unwind, and still feel connected to the work.</p> <p>🔹 **What you can expect from Sticky Notes episodes:**<br /> - Short, informal check-ins between full episodes <br /> - Real talk about life *around* clinical research <br /> - The same unfiltered, practical vibe you know from Note to File </p> <p>---</p> <p>📌 **About Note to File** <br /> **Note to File** is a clinical research podcast featuring interviews, commentary, and plenty of unscripted nonsense for people who live and work in the world of trials.</p> <p>👉 More episodes, resources, and info: <br /> [https://notetofilepodcast.com](https://notetofilepodcast.com)</p> <p>---</p> <p>👍 If you enjoy this episode:<br /> - **Like** the video to support the channel <br /> - **Subscribe** for more clinical research conversations <br /> - **Comment** where you're listening from and what your weather's like today</p> <p>#ClinicalResearch #NoteToFile #StickyNotes #ClinicalTrials #ResearchSites #CRCs</p>
158 total episodes available
Recent guests on Note to File
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Dr Manfred Stapff
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Zach Gobst
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[Guest Name Credential]
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Josh Rose
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Jeff Smith
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Michelle Jones
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Laura Hilty
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Dan Schell
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Laura O'Donnell
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Dr Robert Califf
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Darshan Kulkarni
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Edye Edens
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Note to File?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Information about guest appearances is not available.
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