Clinical Trial Recruitment Lab

The Clinical Trial Recruitment Lab (CTRL) pilots, evaluates, and disseminates innovative recruitment strategies to improve access and representation in clinical trials. CTRL’s goal is to coordinate the resources and expertise needed to design and conduct pilots that test real-world solutions, generate evidence, and share best practices to improve recruitment at scale. CTRL brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, and philanthropy to create a collaborative platform for testing innovative strategies in real-world settings.

Program Leadership

**Paul Aisen, MD**
Director, Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute

**Phyllis Ferrell, DrPH, MBA**
Nonresident Scholar, USC Schaeffer Institute

**Dana Goldman, PHd**
Founding Director, USC Schaeffer Institute

**Mireille Jacobson, PhD**
Co-Director, Aging and Cognition Program, USC Schaeffer Center

**Desi Peneva, MS**
Research Program Lead, USC Schaeffer Center

**Rema Raman, PhD**
Director, Alzheimer’s Trial Recruitment Innovation Lab

CTRL News and Research View All

Advancing the Science of Recruitment for Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials: Challenges and Opportunities

Forty leading experts in Alzheimer’s clinical trials examined key barriers to inclusive recruitment, emerging recruitment strategies, and policy recommendations during a two-day roundtable.

Aging

Experts: Paul Aisen, Desi Peneva, Mireille Jacobson, Dana Goldman, Niranjan Bose, Phyllis Barkman Ferrell, Rema Raman

2025 Clinical Trial Recruitment Lab (CTRL) Request for Applications

New Alzheimer’s Blood Tests Have the Potential to Supercharge Clinical Trials

Featured White Paper

Key Barriers for Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical trials are more complicated, costly, and slower than trials for other diseases. Addressing barriers would accelerate the approval of innovative therapies.

Experts: Dana Goldman, Niranjan Bose

Read: Key Barriers for Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease

Ongoing Studies

The Alzheimer’s Trial Recruitment Innovation Lab (ATRIL) seeks to diversify participant recruitment and accelerate the process of enrolling a representative population in preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer’s clinical trials through evidence-based science, community engagement and training.

Alzheimer’s Trial Recruitment Innovation Lab

More Clinical Trial Research View All

Perspective

What RFK Jr. Gets Wrong About Conflicts of Interest

Not all financial conflicts are equal. A wholesale purge of CDC's vaccine advisory panel may remove some members with industry ties, but it also may come at the expense of expertise and delay access for patients.

Featured Experts: Genevieve P. Kanter

Perspective

Agency Overreach Leaves Patients Untreated

News

Leveraging Corporate Tax Rates, Rather Than R&D Credits or Tariffs, Is Key to Supporting U.S. Biomedical Innovation

White Paper

How Does Corporate Tax Policy Influence Innovation?

In The News View All

STAT