Welcome to Innovating Clinical Trials, the podcast where Liam and Ted explore the evolving landscape of clinical research and challenge the assumptions holding it back. In this episode, we sit down with Maya Zlatanova — CEO of TrialHub and FindMeCure, and host of Trials with Maya Z — for a no-nonsense look at one of the most misunderstood concepts in research: feasibility.

Episode Overview:

Maya takes us deep into the hidden layers of clinical trial feasibility, arguing that what most of the industry calls "feasibility" is really just site contracting in disguise. Instead, she introduces a broader, patient-aligned view that incorporates standard of care, access, and real-world motivation. We discuss:

How clinical trials often fail because they ignore the healthcare systems patients actually live in

Why standard of care varies country to country — and how that affects recruitment and retention

The painful disconnect between pharma’s incentives and patients’ reality

Why relying on investigators alone leads to blind spots

How AI and emerging tech can streamline feasibility, but only if paired with real-world insight

And why hope, as Maya bluntly reminds us, is not a strategy

This is an unflinching and inspiring conversation about why better feasibility planning isn’t just a project task — it’s the foundation for better trials, faster development, and ultimately, better care.

Welcome to the Innovating Clinical Trials podcast, where we explore the evolving landscape of clinical research.

In this episode, hosts Liam Eves and Ted Trafford sit down with Jill Pellegrino, CEO of AutoCruitment, to explore the future of patient enrollment in clinical trials. With a background spanning leadership roles at CVS Health, PPD, and Accelerated Enrollment Solutions, Jill brings deep expertise in leveraging technology and data-driven strategies to improve recruitment efficiency.

Jill shares how AutoCruitment direct-to-patient approach is expanding access to clinical trials beyond traditional site networks, tackling the industry’s biggest challenge—low enrollment rates. She breaks down the power of digital advertising, predictive modeling, and real-time data tracking in optimizing recruitment funnels, as well as the critical role of trust-building and site support in ensuring patients follow through with participation.

This episode dives into why the clinical trial industry continues to struggle with recruitment, how sponsors can rethink feasibility and budgeting for better enrollment outcomes, and why patient-centric solutions are the key to the future of clinical research and much more.

If you’re looking to stay ahead in patient recruitment and trial optimization, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Welcome to the Innovating Clinical Trials podcast, where we explore the evolving landscape of clinical research. In this episode, hosts Liam Eves and Ted Trafford continue the conversation with clinical trial feasibility expert Nick Palumbo to examine why feasibility is much more than just site selection—and how rethinking the process can drive better enrollment and study success.

Nick shares his insights on the broader role of feasibility, from protocol optimization to enrollment modeling, and the critical need for strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. He also highlights why personalized site engagement—not mass emails—is essential to fostering collaboration and improving trial outcomes.

This episode takes a candid look at persistent industry challenges, including the long-standing failure of 80% of studies to meet enrollment goals, and explores how re-evaluating feasibility practices could be a key part of the solution. If you want to understand how feasibility can be leveraged as a strategic advantage in clinical trials, this discussion is for you.