Segal Trials Employees Join CISCRP Medical Heroes Appreci-A-Thon to Honor Clinical Research Participants and Professionals
More than 90 employees from Segal Trials are participating in the 8th Annual Medical Heroes Appreci-A-Thon organized by the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP), joining a two-week initiative that combines physical activity, fundraising, and public recognition of the people who make medical research possible.
Taking place from September 1 through September 15, the annual Appreci-A-Thon is designed to celebrate clinical research participants, investigators, research professionals, and others whose contributions help advance the development of new medicines and medical treatments. Alongside the physical activity component, the event raises funds to support CISCRP’s educational initiatives, which focus on improving public understanding of clinical research and empowering patients and communities to make informed decisions about research participation.
Segal Trials has demonstrated strong early engagement in this year’s event. Just two days after the challenge began, employees had already raised $2,500 in support of CISCRP’s mission. Members of the Segal Trials Team Fight Club also recorded more than 81,000 Footprint Points, highlighting the organization’s enthusiasm for the initiative and its broader commitment to recognizing the human contributions behind clinical research.
Celebrating the People Behind Medical Progress
For Segal Trials, participation in the Appreci-A-Thon represents more than a workplace fitness and fundraising activity. The event provides an opportunity for employees to reflect on the people whose decisions, dedication, and participation ultimately allow clinical research to move forward.
Clinical research depends on a complex network of scientists, physicians, research coordinators, sponsors, regulatory professionals, patients, caregivers, and community partners. While technological advances and scientific discoveries receive significant attention, the clinical research process cannot progress without individuals willing to participate in studies and professionals committed to conducting those studies responsibly.
Bonnie Segal, President of Segal Trials, emphasized the importance of maintaining that human perspective as clinical research organizations become increasingly sophisticated.
“As clinical research sites have grown and evolved into larger, more sophisticated organizations, I think it can be easy to lose sight of the very human purpose behind what we do,” said Segal. “For all the science, innovation and investment that go into developing new treatments, progress still depends on people. It depends on people willing to participate in research and people who have chosen to dedicate their careers to advancing medicine.”
Her comments underscore a central theme of the Medical Heroes Appreci-A-Thon: every clinical trial represents people working together toward the possibility of improving healthcare for future patients.
Recognizing Clinical Trial Participants as Medical Heroes
Clinical trial participants occupy a unique position in the medical research ecosystem. By volunteering for research, individuals contribute information that can help researchers understand potential treatments, evaluate their safety, and determine whether they may provide meaningful benefits to patients.
The decision to participate can involve time, travel, medical appointments, testing, follow-up visits, and a willingness to contribute personal health information to the research process. Participants may also be motivated by the possibility of accessing an investigational treatment, but their contribution extends beyond their own circumstances.
A person who participates in a clinical trial today may help generate knowledge that contributes to a future treatment for patients they will never meet. In that sense, clinical research participation can have an impact that extends well beyond the duration of an individual study.
Segal Trials has witnessed examples of this impact through personal experiences shared by research participants. Some participants have described improvements that allowed them to return to work or feel better in their daily lives. Such changes can influence not only an individual’s health but also relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues.
Clinical research can also connect participants with physicians, diagnostic testing, and potential healthcare options that they may not otherwise have encountered. In certain cases, participation in a research study and the medical evaluations associated with it have helped identify serious health conditions that participants were previously unaware of.
These experiences illustrate that the value of clinical research can exist at several levels. Participants may benefit from additional medical attention and monitoring, while the information generated through research can potentially contribute to broader scientific understanding.
Research Professionals Are Medical Heroes Too
The Medical Heroes Appreci-A-Thon also recognizes the professionals who dedicate their careers to clinical research.
Research professionals play an essential role in transforming clinical protocols into carefully managed studies involving real patients. Their responsibilities can include participant recruitment and education, study coordination, data collection, regulatory compliance, safety monitoring, communication with investigators and sponsors, and ensuring that research activities are conducted according to established requirements.
Behind every completed clinical trial is a network of individuals working to maintain the quality and integrity of the research process.
For organizations such as Segal Trials, recognizing these professionals is particularly important because clinical research has become increasingly complex. Advances in precision medicine, novel therapeutic platforms, digital technologies, and specialized trial designs have created new opportunities for medical development while also increasing the demands placed on research teams.
The Appreci-A-Thon provides an opportunity for employees to step away from their daily responsibilities and recognize the broader purpose of their work.
Supporting Public Understanding of Clinical Research
The fundraising component of the event directly supports CISCRP’s mission of educating and empowering patients and the public about clinical research.
Public awareness remains an important part of the clinical research ecosystem. Individuals who understand what clinical trials involve are better positioned to consider whether research participation is appropriate for them, ask informed questions, and understand the potential responsibilities and considerations associated with taking part in a study.
CISCRP has developed educational and community-based initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of clinical research and improving communication between the research community and the public.
Through fundraising activities such as the Appreci-A-Thon, participants can support efforts that help make clinical research information more accessible to patients and communities.
Longstanding Collaboration Between Segal Trials and CISCRP
Segal Trials and CISCRP have collaborated for several years to increase awareness and understanding of clinical research, with particular attention to reaching diverse communities.
Their work has included initiatives such as AWARE for All, the Latina Expo, and a clinical trial awareness event held at Marlins Park, now known as loanDepot park.
These programs reflect a shared focus on engaging communities that may have historically been underrepresented in clinical research. Improving awareness among diverse populations is important for building broader participation and helping ensure that research opportunities and information reach people from a range of backgrounds.
Community engagement can also help address misconceptions about clinical trials and provide prospective participants with opportunities to learn directly from research professionals, healthcare experts, and others involved in medical research.
By continuing this collaboration, Segal Trials and CISCRP are working to make clinical research more visible and understandable while encouraging greater community engagement.
Turning Appreciation Into Action
The Appreci-A-Thon combines recognition with an active challenge, encouraging participants to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines while raising funds for clinical research education.
For Segal Trials employees, the initiative provides an opportunity to participate collectively while supporting a cause closely connected to their professional work. The more than 81,000 Footprint Points recorded by Segal Trials Team Fight Club during the opening days of the event demonstrate the level of engagement among employees.
The $2,500 raised within the first two days also establishes an early fundraising milestone for the team, with the event continuing through September 15.
Ayse Gunduz highlighted the broader meaning of the annual event, emphasizing that its value extends beyond the physical activity component.
“Our annual Appreci-a-thon event is an opportunity to get active, but most importantly, it’s a chance to show our appreciation for everyone involved in clinical research. These everyday heroes make the development of new medical treatments and advancements possible,” said Gunduz.
The message reinforces the idea that medical progress is a collective effort. Clinical research depends on participants who volunteer, professionals who conduct and manage studies, organizations that support research, and communities that engage with opportunities to learn more about clinical trials.
Building Greater Awareness of Clinical Research
As medical research continues to evolve, public engagement will remain an important factor in the successful development of new treatments. Scientific innovation can create new possibilities, but those possibilities ultimately need to be evaluated through clinical research involving people.
Events such as the Medical Heroes Appreci-A-Thon provide a way to recognize this relationship and remind the broader community that clinical research is fundamentally a human endeavor.
For Segal Trials, the participation of more than 90 employees reflects the organization’s commitment to acknowledging the individuals behind the research process. Their involvement also builds on the company’s longstanding efforts with CISCRP to promote greater understanding of clinical research among diverse communities.
The event offers participants an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of clinical trial volunteers while recognizing the research professionals who work behind the scenes to advance medical development.
Participation Continues Through September 4
Individuals interested in joining the Medical Heroes Appreci-A-Thon can register through CISCRP and take part in the initiative through September 4. The broader event itself runs from September 1 through September 15, bringing together participants through physical activity and fundraising in recognition of clinical research.
For Segal Trials, the early response demonstrates the enthusiasm of its employees and reinforces a message that remains central to clinical research: medical progress depends on people.
From patients who volunteer for clinical studies to professionals who dedicate their careers to research, each contribution forms part of a larger effort to develop better healthcare solutions. Through its participation in the Appreci-A-Thon and its ongoing collaboration with CISCRP, Segal Trials is helping highlight those contributions while supporting efforts to improve public knowledge, engagement, and participation in clinical research.