For too long, the IRB has operated as a black box. Researchers submit their documents, cross their fingers, and wait for something to come back, often with little idea of what happened in between or who to call when a question comes up.
Univo IRB CEO Julie Blasingim wants to change that. In this candid conversation with Brad Hightower and Denali Rose on Note to File, Julie traces her path from entry-level regulatory specialist at a Fort Lauderdale Phase I site, to IRB chair, to founder of a dedicated, single-focus IRB. Along the way, she makes the case for why research needs more options, more transparency, and a renewed focus on the people it’s meant to serve.
Watch the episode to hear:
- Why IRB consolidation and private equity have narrowed the field, and how perceived versus real conflicts of interest look from the inside
- How the “voice of the patient” shaped everything about Univo, from its name to its yellow branding
- What a single-focus IRB does differently when customer experience drives the work
- Where AI supports the review process, and where human judgment still has to lead
- How mock IRB meetings and site-friendly touches pull back the curtain on a historically opaque process
- Why the next generation of research professionals needs a clearer on-ramp into the field, from high school mentorship to community college certificate programs
Press play to watch the full conversation.
