RALEIGH, N.C., July 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INC Research Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:INCR), a leading, global Phase I to IV contract research organization, together with the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP), a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging the public and patients as partners in the clinical research process, today announced the judging panel, sponsors and mentors for the upcoming “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon event, an innovative competition designed to develop effective new ways to increase the awareness of clinical trial participation among patients, healthcare professionals and the general public. The submission of idea applications for the event is ongoing through Aug. 8 with the shortlist of finalists to be announced beginning the week of Aug. 15.
“We are proud to have such an esteemed and well-rounded panel of judges to evaluate the idea submissions, along with a very talented and experienced group of individuals who have signed on as mentors and sponsors to offer guidance and financial support to participants during the ‘Inspiring Hope’ Ideathon,” said Clare Grace, PhD, Vice President, Site and Patient Access, INC Research. “Each of these participants represents a unique viewpoint from across the industry, which will contribute to a holistic evaluation, as well as encouragement, of each idea. The response and level of interest expressed to date has been astounding and has come from all corners of clinical research as well as from disciplines outside the industry.”
The judging panel for the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon includes representatives from INC Research and CISCRP along with five industry leaders and experts representing a range of healthcare and related stakeholder communities:
- Cerdi Beltre, Director of Data Strategy and Business Development, Merge eClinical
- Owen Garrick, MD, President & COO, Bridge Clinical Research
- Kenneth Getz, Chairman, CISCRP
- Cassandra Harris, Manager, Health Education, MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Jamie Macdonald, CEO, INC Research
- Paulo Moreira, Vice President, Global Clinical Operations - External Innovation at EMD Serono, Inc.
- Hugo Stephenson, MD, Principal Investigator, Executive Chairman, DrugDev
Judges will not evaluate entries submitted from their own organizations.
The “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon’s inaugural mentors and sponsors play a critical role in providing the necessary support to make the event a success. The role of the mentors is to help participants with idea development during the event by encouraging team conversation, helping with decision-making and providing constructive feedback to build on a team's idea. Sponsors are organizations that have made a financial commitment to support travel and accommodation for patients and non-profit patient advocacy groups attending the event. Organizations sponsoring the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon include DrugDev, EMD Serono, ePatientFinder, Greenphire, and Medidata along with media partners CenterWatch and PharmaVOICE. Individuals who have signed on to be mentors include:
- Jennifer Byrne, CEO, PMG Research, Inc.
- Beth Harper, BS, MBA, President, Clinical Performance Partners, Inc.
- Kelly Johnston McKee, Advisor, Clinical Innovation, Eli Lilly and Company
- Tom Krohn, RPh, MBA, Chief Development Officer, TrialReach
- Jim Murphy, CEO, Greenphire
- Tim Schuckman, President, Sponsor and CRO Services, WIRB-Copernicus Group
- Andrea Valencia, Clinical Trial Manager, Merrimack
- Rick Ward, Vice President, Business Development, Greenphire
“We’re excited to see the momentum building around this opportunity to devise innovative and creative solutions for global clinical research literacy,” says Jill McNair, Senior Director, Patient Engagement, CISCRP. “It’s incredible to see such a diverse group of clinical research and healthcare professionals, ethics professionals, patients and their family members, patient advocates, technology and service providers recognizing the importance of creating a broader public awareness of clinical research.”
Idea applications for the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon will be evaluated on innovation, feasibility, sustainability and impact. Finalists announced beginning the week of Aug. 15 will be invited to the event taking place Sept. 27-28, 2016, at District Hall in Boston, where they will collaborate live with a multifunctional team in a crowd-solving-type environment to further develop and ultimately present their solution to the judging panel. The 2016 “Inspiring Hope” Award will be given at the conclusion of the event and there will be a $10,000 prize for the winning entry awarded by CISCRP. INC Research and CISCRP will work together with the winning team to progress the chosen idea into a viable solution.
To learn more about participation in the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon, please visit www.inspiring-hope-ideathon.com or follow us on social media at #ideas4patients. Read more about our judges, mentors and sponsors here.
About CISCRP
The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public, patients, medical/research communities, the media, and policy makers about clinical research and the role each party plays in the process. CISCRP provides free education and outreach to the general public and patient communities. Visit www.CISCRP.org for more information or to support CISCRP.
About INC Research
INC Research (Nasdaq:INCR) is a leading global contract research organization ("CRO") providing the full range of Phase I to Phase IV clinical development services for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. Leveraging the breadth of our service offerings and the depth of our therapeutic expertise across multiple patient populations, INC Research connects customers, clinical research sites and patients to accelerate the delivery of new medicines to market. The Company was named “Best Contract Research Organization” in December 2015 by an independent panel for Scrip Intelligence, and ranked “Top CRO to Work With” among large global CROs in the 2015 CenterWatch Global Investigative Site Relationship Survey. INC Research is headquartered in Raleigh, NC, with operations across six continents and experience spanning more than 110 countries. For more information, please visit www.incresearch.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @inc_research.