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Welcome to the second issue of the ACTRI Center for Clinical Research (CCR) Monthly Newsletter. 

We're excited to share that four students are currently participating in the ACTRI Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) Training Program! This 12-week, in-person program is designed to expand the CRC workforce by preparing attendees for immediate employment in clinical research.

The curriculum blends lectures, hands-on activities, shadowing, and other self-directed learning to give trainees a well-rounded foundation. Topics span everything from Research Foundations, IRB & Regulatory requirements, and Informed Consent to Data Management, Safety & Monitoring, and Study Close-out — covering both general research principles and UCSD-specific systems and processes.

We look forward to welcoming these four new CRCs into the research field by year's end!

With over 1,300 people currently holding clinic access, ensuring proper oversight is more important than ever. Volunteers and students present a unique compliance challenge as the clinic is unable to enforce compliance for this group independently, creating a potential accountability gap. Please be aware that going forward, clinic access for volunteers and students will only be granted by contacting Bernadette Cale directly. We appreciate your partnership in maintaining a safe and compliant clinic environment. Please reach out to Bernadette with any questions at bcale@health.ucsd.edu.

Is your study wrapping up? Don't forget to notify the CCR units (Clinic, CTSS, and CRC)! Studies must notify the units within 30 days of closing the study or ending services. Timely notification is not just good practice, but it also helps your team avoid an annual renewal fee. Please make study close notification a standard part of your close-out checklist and reach out to the clinic team if you have any questions.

As noted in last month's newsletter, please take note of the following updates to ACTRI lab operations, effective February 24, 2026.

Freezer access in the lab is now restricted to ACTRI staff only. Researchers and external personnel may no longer access freezers independently. If after-hours access is needed, requests must be submitted in advance and will require ACTRI staff accompaniment, as freezers are locked outside of regular hours.

Additionally, all specimens stored in ACTRI freezers are subject to a 7-day maximum storage limit. Study teams should plan their sample handling and pickup schedules accordingly to remain compliant.

Questions about these changes? Reach out to the ACTRI clinic team for assistance: Bernadette Cale at bcale@health.ucsd.edu and Patty Santana at pmoraes@health.ucsd.edu.

The CCR has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Daily Lab Operations. It has been posted on the ACTRI website, see link below.

Need to cancel a study visit? Here's how: In the Study Status Page in Clinical Conductor, navigate to the Standard Visits section and select Cancel in the Cancel column for the applicable visit.

In the Confirm Cancellation of Appointment window, select the appropriate cancellation reason and click Confirm.

Important reminders: Coordinators may only select one of the following cancellation reasons: Cancelled/Rescheduled, Cancelled/Not Rescheduled, or No Show.

Upon cancelling any visit, it is the coordinator's responsibility to promptly notify the ACTRI Clinic front desk (lmacarena@health.ucsd.edu) and the operations team (jclora@health.ucsd.edu) via email.

The Clinical Trial Support Service (CTSS) team works closely with investigators and research teams who require additional support to invoice industry sponsors of clinical trials. This service streamlines the financial management of industry sponsored clinical trials by managing invoicing, tracking payment, and providing financial oversight from study activation to closeout.   

Service includes: 

Investigators are encouraged to submit a request for clinical trial invoicing during study start up. However, retrospective financial review of a study will be considered on a case by case basis. 

For more detailed information or to discuss how we can assist you, please contact us at  actri-ctss@health.ucsd.edu.