Mayo Clinic Expert Shares Practical Insights on Clinical Trial Research at PCTU
Dr. Laura M. Pacheco-Spann, DHSc, MS, MSM, from Mayo Clinic, USA, joined Phan Chau Trinh University’s Visiting Lecturer Program on August 4–5, 2026, delivering a seminar and practical workshop on clinical trial research and protocol development.
Dr. Pacheco-Spann is an Instructor in Epidemiology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a Senior Program Coordinator in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences. The two-day program brought together faculty members, physicians, researchers, biomedical scientists, and data specialists from PCTU, Phan Chau Trinh University Hospital, and affiliated Tam Tri General Hospitals.
Dr. Laura M. Pacheco-Spann from Mayo Clinic participates in PCTU’s Visiting Lecturer programme on clinical trial research.
From Protocol to Practice
On August 4, Dr. Pacheco-Spann delivered the seminar “How Clinical Trials Really Work: From Protocol to Participant” to around 30 on-site participants, with colleagues from Tam Tri General Hospitals joining online.
Dr. Laura presents “How Clinical Trials Really Work: From Protocol to Participant” to faculty members, physicians, and researchers at PCTU.
Drawing on experience from Mayo Clinic, she highlighted the practical challenges of translating a research protocol into a successful clinical study, including participant recruitment and retention, data quality, sample processing, team coordination, and integration with routine clinical workflows.
She emphasized that strong clinical research requires not only sound scientific design but also clear responsibilities, trained personnel, standardized procedures, effective communication, and early identification of operational problems.
The seminar also focused on the participant journey. Dr. Pacheco-Spann encouraged research teams to minimize unnecessary visits, procedures, and administrative burdens, helping improve recruitment, retention, and data completeness.
The seminar highlights the operational systems required to translate a research protocol into a successfully implemented clinical study.
Participants discuss clinical trial implementation and the importance of designing participant-friendly research processes.
Hands-on Protocol Development
On August 5, Dr. Pacheco-Spann led an interactive workshop with five research groups from the PCT University–Hospital System.
Each group presented a preliminary research proposal and received feedback on research questions, study design, methodology, outcome measures, feasibility, ethics, and implementation.
The projects covered five areas:
- MSC-derived exosomes for neuroprotection;
- Cell-free DNA biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma;
- AI-integrated telemedicine and remote patient monitoring;
- Stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis; and
- AI-assisted image-enhanced endoscopy for colorectal polyp detection.
Dr. Pacheco-Spann encouraged teams to clearly define their primary research questions, select appropriate study designs and measurable outcomes, and assess available participants, data, samples, personnel, equipment, and funding before developing full protocols.
Five research groups from the PCT University–Hospital System present their preliminary research ideas during the protocol development workshop.
Research teams present projects in stem cell science, molecular biomarkers, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, oncology, and image-enhanced endoscopy.
Dr. Laura provides feedback on study design, feasibility, outcome measures, ethical considerations, and protocol development.
Dr. Laura and PCTU representatives discuss priorities for strengthening clinical research capacity over the next 12–24 months.
Strengthening Clinical Research Capacity
The program also provided an opportunity for PCTU to review its broader clinical research capacity.
During the concluding session, Dr. Pacheco-Spann and PCTU representatives discussed a proposed 12–24-month roadmap covering research training, protocol development, institutional infrastructure, research coordination, remote consultation, and potential future collaboration.
The two-day Visiting Lecturer Program strengthened professional exchange between PCTU and international clinical research expertise while providing practical guidance for PCTU research teams.
The program also supports PCTU’s long-term goal of building a sustainable clinical research ecosystem connecting medical education, patient care, biomedical science, technology, and multidisciplinary research.
Dr. Laura M. Pacheco-Spann and participants conclude the two-day Visiting Lecturer program on clinical trial research at PCTU.
