Cardio Pod: Heart of the Matter

Cardio Pod: Heart of the Matter

by Heart Failure Collaboratory

Season 4

Why is Site-Based Research Broken in the United States?

Hosted by Christopher O’Connor, MD, this episode dives into why site-based research is “broken” — fragmented, inefficient, and weighed down by administrative and regulatory burdens. Many clinical research sites — especially community hospitals and smaller practices — face inconsistent funding, delayed contract approvals, and limited infrastructure for study coordination and data management. Join Dr. O’Connor and expert guests Melvin Echols, MD; Anu Lala-Trindade, MD; Maria Rosa Costanzo, MD; Dalane Kitzman, MD, Marat Fudim, MD; and Sumeet Mitter, MD as they unpack the systemic challenges and explore how to create a more efficient, equitable research ecosystem. #HeartFailureCollaboratory #ClinicalResearch #heartfailure

Representation vs. Diversity in Clinical Trials

In this episode, host Dr. Christopher O’Connor is joined by Dr. Christian Guilliod, Dr. Wayne Batchelor, Dr. Mona Fiuzat, and Dr. Orly Vardeny to discuss the need for clinical trials to reflect the populations most affected by disease, emphasizing culturally and demographically aligned recruitment. They advocate for targeted, site-based strategies and raise concerns about interpreting results from unrepresentative samples.

Should Investigators Have Access to Trial Data?

In this episode, Host Christopher O’Connor, MD, is joined by Robert Califf, MD; Michael Bristow, MD; Scott Solomon, MD; Marvin Konstam, MD; and Mona Fiuzat, PharmD, to discuss who should have access to clinical trial data amid growing collaboration between academia and industry. The conversation highlights the importance of transparency, trust, and responsible data interpretation to maintain scientific integrity.

How Can AI Enhance Recruitment in Clinical Trials?

In this episode, experts Jonathan Cunningham, MD; Ankeet Bhatt, MD; Trejeeve Martyn, MD; Anu Lala-Trindade, MD; Sneha Shah Jain, MD; Elise Shalowitz, MS; and Mitchell Psotka, MD join host Christopher O’Connor, MD to explore AI’s role in transforming clinical trials by reducing workload, improving recruitment, and enhancing protocols. Together, they discuss AI’s use in clinical workflows, continuous evaluation, and inclusive recruitment, stressing the need for healthcare support to maximize success.

Season 3

Crossover designs and event driven trials in devices

In this episode, host Christopher O’Connor and his colleagues discuss device trials and how they differ from drug trials. The conversation focuses on how device trials can be improved and how to advance device development overall.

Best Practices for Site-Based Research (Part 3)

Host Christopher O’Connor, MD is joined by Jana Svetlichnaya, MD; Anu Lala-Trindade, MD; and Marshall Brinkley, MD to unpack the challenges of site-based research. This episode dives into the barriers, obstacles, and opportunities investigators face—and what it truly takes to build and sustain a successful research site.

Recurrent Events VS. Time to First Event Analysis

This episode explores two different ways of analyzing outcomes in clinical trial and longitudinal studies in cardiovascular and heart failure research.

Standardized Definitions of Changes in Kidney Function in Trials of Heart Failure

Only with cardiology with nephrology working together can the field of acute decompensated heart failure move forward with respect to kidney related entry criteria & endpoints. We call for standardization to allow for real progress. Host Chris O'Connor invites authors of the HFC, newly published JACC Expert Panel, Anuradha Lala, Maria Rosa Costanzo, Muthu Vaduganathan, Jason Feinman, Mona Fiuzat, and Steven Coca to discuss this HF-ARC initiative.

Season 2

The Role of AI in the Future of Clinical Trials and Therapeutic Development

How can artificial intelligence enhance and augment clinical trials? In what ways can it be used responsibly to increase trial efficiency? Host Chris O'Connor invites Martin Cowie, JoAnn Lindenfeld, Scott Solomon, Jon Cunningham, Mona Fiuzat, and Mitch Psotka to discuss the role of AI in clinical trials.

Importance of Subgroups in Heart Failure Clinical Trials - Part 2

Host Dr. Christopher O'Connor invites Drs. Scott Solomon, William Abraham, JoAnn Lindenfeld, Brian Claggett, Mona Fiuzat, and Mitchell Psotka to continue discussion of the importance of subgroups in heart failure clinical trials. How can we analyze subgroups and determine the differences between subgroups and special populations?

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