Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Jeff Zucker, Chief Development Officer, and Brandon Lenfest, Regional Director at Tekton Research, to dig into what makes CNS and neuroscience trials uniquely challenging for sites. They cover why patient identification in this space requires a completely different approach, the often overlooked but critical role caregivers play, and what sites can do to keep patients engaged through the full length of a study. Jeff and Brandon also get into the balancing act of providing empathetic care while managing placebo response, and share practical advice for sites considering making the move into CNS research for the first time.

Dana Kudrnova from Novotech shares proven strategies to accelerate study startup by overcoming regulatory and administrative bottlenecks. Learn how data-driven KPIs, mandatory templates, and unified technology transform unpredictable timelines into streamlined milestones. Dana emphasizes that while AI provides speed, active ownership and human oversight are what truly prevent document delays. This episode highlights why proactive communication between CRAs and sites is the secret to surfacing issues early and moving from site selection to first patient dosed more efficiently.

Jimmy Bechtel talks with Darcy Forman, COO of Lightship, about how hybrid site models can reduce operational risk in clinical trials. They discuss matching visit types to the right setting (clinic, home, or mobile), lessons learned from the pandemic's rapid shift to decentralized trials, and how to maintain strong investigator oversight across different delivery models. Darcy shares practical insights on what it takes to implement flexible approaches successfully, including the importance of investigator buy-in, standardized processes, and building trust-based relationships between sites, sponsors, and CROs.