Have you ever wondered what it really takes to run a clinical trial? This week in The Research Room, we kick off 2026 by going behind the scenes of the York Trials Unit (YTU). We are joined by Director Professor Catherine Hewitt and Deputy Director Dr. Jude Watson to discover exactly what a trials unit does and why trials are so important.

From the history of the unit to the importance of the "Gold Standard" Randomised Control Trial, Catherine and Jude explain how their multidisciplinary team improves patient care one study at a time. Whether you are an aspiring researcher or simply interested in how research improves patient care, this episode reveals the teamwork behind the science.

Resources from this episode:

Find out more about York Trials Unit here: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/trials/

Music by Matthew Bailey

The tables have turned at The Research Room! For our 2025 Christmas Special, Emma Standley takes the mic as guest host, putting us in the hot seat for a change. Join us as we reflect on our favorite highlights from the past year and share the behind-the-scenes story of how this podcast journey began. Stick around for some festive fun as we talk holiday traditions and reveal the strangest gifts we’ve ever seen.

Plus, get a sneak peek at the exciting projects we have in store for 2026!

Merry Christmas from The Research Room!

Music by Matthew Bailey

How do researchers ensure a clinical trial truly works for the people taking part? The answer is simple: ask the patients.

This week we're revisiting the BioDrive AFS Study, a major trial investigating the best way to prevent and detect fungal infection in patients with blood cancer, to hear from the people helping to design it. We sit down with Trial Manager Dr. Sam Brady and Patient Advisory Group members Kate and Mary to explore how lived experience has helped shape the study.

Kate and Mary share their journeys from diagnosis to becoming research partners, proving that patient voices are not just helpful, they are essential. Discover the power of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), plus learn how you can get involved to help shape the future of healthcare!

Resources from this episode:

• The BioDrive AFS Study: https://biodrive-rct.com/
• Involvement@York: https://www.york.ac.uk/research/involvement/
• NIHR Be Part of Research: https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/
• Listen to Episode 3: For the full background on the BioDrive trial, be sure to check out our full episode on the study.

Music by Matthew Bailey