2025-2026 NCRP Season in Review: A Year of Learning, Connection, and Recognition

By Marisabel Davalos | Published: July 1, 2026

The 2025-2026 NCRP season finished with a flourish!  The season brought clinical research professionals (CRPs) many learning opportunities, including the following:  

• Sept. 2025: “The Role of the Biostatistician in Clinical Trials”, presented by Dr. Shari Messenger
• Oct. 2025:  “From Structure to Substance:  Data Integrity in Motion with MSOM Performance Committee Overview” presented by Kanschan Sahkrani and Carlos Sandoval 
• Jan. 2026: “JHS/UM Oneness Initiative:  Enhancing Research Quality through the Oneness Initiative”, presented by Dr. Katuzka Barbery, from the Jackson Health System Office of Research Administration, introduced by Dr. Carl Schulman  
• Feb. 2026:  “Real World Data- What’s Available and How to Apply it for Research”, presented by Dr. Winfred Wu, Executive Director of Research Informatics
• Mar. 2026:  “Budget Standardization in Clinical Trials”, presented by Tatyana Vikhlyantseva and Carlos Sandoval  

A special  “NCRP Connect”, was held on national Clinical Trials Day, May 20, 2026. NCRP Connect brought over 70 CRPs together for an interactive opportunity to engage in lively and thoughtful discussion with peers and subject matter experts around the themes of networking, education, career development in clinical research, recognition, and impact. The special session provided a platform to ask questions, share experiences, build connections within the NCRP community, to navigate best practices, and learn how to support career growth. NCRP Connect helped celebrate the power of shared knowledge—and culminated with the inaugural Clinical Research Impact Award (CRIA) ceremony. 

The CRIA came from close collaboration between the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) and the Miami Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) to create a mechanism to recognize the impact outstanding CRPs have on the research enterprise. This year’s nominees and awardees represented both CRPs within SCCC and across the University. The CRIA was bestowed on four special CRPs, who were selected through a nomination and selection committee process.  This year’s awardees were:

• Deborah M. Conte, Clinical Research Coordinator III, Clinical Trials Services, SCCC 
• Carrie Burgess, Clinical Research Nurse 3, Clinical Trials Services, SCCC 
• Ana M. Alvarez Gil, Supervisor, Nursing, Clinical Cell Transplant Program, Diabetes Research Institute  
• Jorge M. Limia, Manager, Research Support, School of Nursing & Health Studies – Sponsored and Research Programs