Clinical Research Seminars

Offered monthly over Zoom, Clinical Research Seminars provide a forum to discuss important ethical, regulatory, and operational research topics.  Seminars are designed for BU Medical Campus, BMC, BMC Brighton, BMC South and Boston HealthNet Community Health Centers staff. Registrations must be completed using an institutional email address, no personal email addresses will be accepted. 

All previous seminar recordings and slides are available in our Seminar Library. 

Registration for CRRO Seminars

Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 12:00-1:00pm  – Participant Retention: Insights from the Framingham Heart Study

November Registration

Presenters:

  • Natalie Butler – Regulatory Administrator
  • Maureen Valentino – Recruitment Manager
  • Janice Tse, BS, RHIA – Health Information Management (HIM) Manager
  • Nicole Spartano, PhD – Asst Director of FHS Research Center

Skill Level: Skilled      JTF Competencies: 2

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain why participant retention is important to the quality, continuity, and impact of long-term research.
  • Identify common barriers to ongoing participation and describe how participant needs and circumstances may change over time.
  • Select practical, participant-centered strategies to support retention, including flexible and responsive approaches to communication and study participation.

Synopsis:

Successfully recruiting participants into research studies is only part of the story. Participant retention is also critical to the success of a study and retention can be challenging. Participants’ health, schedules, responsibilities, locations, and preferences can change, while study visits and procedures may create practical or emotional burdens. Continued participation helps researchers preserve the quality and completeness of study data, understand changes over time, and draw reliable conclusions. When participants leave a study, missing information can weaken analyses and may make it harder to understand whose experiences are represented.

Drawing on insights from the Framingham Heart Study, which has been running for 78 years, this seminar will explore how research teams can respond to these challenges. Attendees will consider ways to build trust, understand changing needs, reduce barriers, and adapt communication and study processes to support continued involvement over time.

Date Future Seminars Registration Link
12/8/2026 You Be the IRB: Case Studies in Human Research Protection
Matt Ogrodnik, MS, CIP-  OHRA Director		 December  Registration

 

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Questions about any of the above information? Contact us!

Suggestions for future seminars are always welcome and can be submitted by completing our Training and Education Recommendation Form. 

This seminar series is supported by the Clinical Translational Science Institute and the Office of Human Research Affairs.