Dan Schell articles

1. AI Saved Time. Employees Didn't Feel It. 10/27/2026

   An ankle injury kept me from attending the Veeva R&D & Quality Summit, but not from speaking with clinical research leaders about how AI is reshaping operations. I learned why saving time doesn’t always feel like progress — and why trust, change management, and human oversight matter as much as the technology itself.

2. Founders, Fortitude, And Clinical Trials 10/20/2026

   After talking with six clinical trials-related company founders, I came away admiring the tenacity, fortitude, and curiosity it takes to turn an idea into a business — and keep it going through setbacks, uncertainty, and constant change.

3. What I Heard When I Crashed Three ING Dive Teams 10/13/2026

   After attending three Innovation Network Gathering Dive Teams, Chief Editor Dan Schell shares what he heard about accelerating study startup, rethinking investigator meetings, and leading through AI adoption—along with a reminder that promising ideas still need stakeholder support, measurable evidence, and practical execution.

4. Can We Make Feasibility More Realistic? 10/8/2026

   Drawn from a Clinical Leader Live webinar, this article explores how sponsors can make clinical trial feasibility and enrollment forecasts more realistic by questioning data sources, examining patient and site burdens, challenging protocol assumptions, and looking beyond seemingly convincing answers from historical data and AI.

5. With CROs, Decide What You Can Actually Manage 10/1/2026

   Industry veteran Peter Fredette explores how small biotechs can rethink CRO outsourcing by balancing cost, operational needs, and internal oversight. Before choosing a CRO model, sponsors must honestly assess which services they need — and how many partners they can realistically manage.

6. Small Biotech Can Outsource The Work, But Not The Thinking 9/24/2026

   Robert Goldman explains why small biotechs can outsource clinical trial work—but never accountability. His advice on CRO oversight and responsible AI adoption shows how lean sponsors can gain efficiency without surrendering the judgment needed to spot risks and protect their programs.

7. Before Adding AI, Fix The Process 9/17/2026

   Regeneron’s Kaniel Cassady argues that “doing more with less” in clinical development should start with questioning existing processes, unnecessary data collection, and outdated workflows before turning to AI and other new technologies.

8. Why ING Feels Different 9/11/2026

   I’ve attended enough clinical trial conferences to know how similar they can feel. ING is different. Its Dive Teams, WhaleTank, and candid conversations are designed to get attendees participating, not just listening. This year, I’m especially interested in an off-the-record regulatory panel that could tackle some of the biggest changes facing clinical research.

9. What SIP Gets Right And Where It Still Falls Short 9/4/2026

   SIP users Sophie Haynes and Vicki Alvarez identify features that provide value but question whether the platform eliminates enough work to justify its setup demands, repetitive processes, and usability challenges.

10. The SIP Problem Is Bigger Than SIP 9/1/2026

    Sites continue to struggle with duplicated administrative work across too many sponsor and CRO systems. Current SIP users cite real frustrations with the platform, but their experiences also suggest the original goal of a shared, standardized site-information system remains highly relevant.