Independent research sites are expected to move quickly, adopt new technology, train constantly, recruit successfully—and somehow absorb a lot of the work required to make all of that happen. Alexandria Hull, co-founder and CEO of One of a Kind Clinical Research Center, joins Steve to talk about where small sites have an advantage, what sponsors routinely underestimate in study budgets, and why a site's “yes” doesn't always mean a study is truly feasible. They also get into technology that only works for people who love technology, who's responsible for excessive training, and why sometimes the most productive thing a site can give a sponsor is a very blunt warning.

Plus: AI's dash problem, Harry Potter science, and an alarmingly serious analysis of whether it's preferable to fight a bird every day or be attacked with water by a random child.

00:00 — Meet Alexandria Hull & One of a Kind Clinical Research Center
02:43 — Harry Potter, But Make It Science
03:35 — Where Independent Sites Have an Advantage
05:45 — When Does Staying Independent Stop Making Sense?
07:23 — AI, Hyphens & the Blank-Page Problem
10:31 — How Much Can Better Technology Actually Improve a Site?
14:15 — Fight a Bird or Get Soaked by a Child?
15:56 — What Sponsors Underestimate in Study Budgets
19:09 — When Budget Teams Don't Understand the Work
23:11 — The Side Effects of Running a Clinical Trial
24:22 — When Should a Site Say No to a Study?
27:26 — Are Sites Part of the Technology & Training Problem?