Kim Bullock, PhD: 
At the time, there was no approved therapy for my childŐs condition. So, we found out about some research that was going on at UVA, and that there was an opportunity for her to enroll in a clinical study. We met with the investigator and the clinical research coordinator a few times before we enrolled to go over the consent form and everything that was going to be done in the trial. And throughout the trial, they were wonderful to us and our family.


Jeanine Staples, MD: 
As a provider, a healthcare provider, our goal is to provide evidence-based medicine, and clinical research, and clinical trials provides the evidence that we seek. And so, identifying what works and what doesnŐt work, and then ultimately, what works better, and what works best so that we can help to move our field forward and provide good care to patients so that they can have better outcomes.


Max Luna, MD, FACC: 

Patients that are invited to participate in research should have clarity that, one, itŐs a voluntary participation. Two, itŐs confidential. Three, that they can withdraw at any time of the research project. And four, that it would not impact their care at UVA regarding the standard medical care.


Michael Devitt, MD
: A Phase I clinical trial is usually representative of many years, if not a decade, of work being done before that drug even gets to the patient. And I think that thatŐs the difference, is that itŐs not like weŐre just picking some new chemical out of a vial and saying, letŐs just see what happens. A lot of, a lot of work goes into that.


Randy Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN
: We need to have a diverse sample within any of our clinical trials so that we can better understand what are the treatments that may work or not work for particular groups. ItŐs important for people to understand that having a diverse sample, being that it could be within gender, race, ethnicity, culture, geographical location. It really helps us to really be informed of the different types of interventions that we can provide for others.


Kim Bullock, PhD: 
Even though the treatment may or may not have helped her, we would be able to get information from the trail that would help researchers and scientists go on to study, and hopefully develop, a treatment for her condition for other children who are going through the same thing.



Max Luna, MD, FACC
: If you have additional questions about clinical research by UVA, you can go to uvahealth.com and find out about the clinical trials that our health system is participating in.