Learning Center Archives • Meridian Clinical Research

What is the Role of a Principal Investigator in a Clinical Trial?

What is a principal investigator - blog cover image

What is a Principal Investigator? A principal investigator (PI) is the person responsible for overseeing a clinical trial, research grant, or other sponsored research project. In clinical trials, also known as medical studies, principal investigators generally are physicians that carry out the study plan, known as the clinical trial protocol. The principal investigator also analyzes the data and reports the results of the research study. The Roles Principal Investigators play in Clinical Trials Depending on the clinical trial, principal investigators can be contributors or medical experts that help … Read more

The Basics of Respiratory Infections: Differences Among the Cold, Flu, COVID-19, and More

Respiratory infections and illnesses: covid-19, influenza, rsv, copd, pneumonia, and more

What is a Respiratory Infection? Respiratory infections affect the respiratory system, including the nose, sinuses, throat, airways, and lungs. They can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi, but tend to present similar symptoms, such as a cough, congestion or runny nose, and fatigue. Because the symptoms are so similar among different types of infection, the illness can be difficult to diagnose or identify. While most respiratory illnesses go away on their own, some require medical intervention. In this article, you’ll learn about viral, fungal, and bacterial respiratory … Read more

The Latest in Eczema Research: New Potential Treatments For Eczema

What is Eczema? Atopic dermatitis (AD), better known as eczema, is a condition in which red (or on darker skin tones, sometimes brown or purple), itchy patches of skin flare up on various parts of the body. As a chronic condition, eczema tends to flare periodically, sometimes coupled with asthma and/or hay fever. According to the National Eczema Association, an estimated 31.6 million people (more than 10% in the U.S.) have eczema. Atopic dermatitis typically presents in childhood, affecting approximately 9.6 million U.S. children — of which a … Read more

Cytomegalovirus: An Overview and Recent CMV Vaccine Progress

About Cytomegalovirus (CMV) You might not have heard of cytomegalovirus (pronounced site-oh-mega-low-virus), or CMV, but you’ve probably been infected with it. Over half of adults have been infected with CMV by age 40. While most CMV infections cause no symptoms, when a baby is born with a cytomegalovirus infection, known as congenital CMV, it can cause long-term health problems. About one out of every 200 babies is born with congenital CMV and almost one-fifth of all newborns with congenital CMV will face long-term health problems. Symptoms and Illnesses … Read more

Epstein-Barr Virus: An Overview and Recent EBV Vaccine Progress

Epstein-Barr Virus Transmission and Vaccine Development

About the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes virus family, is the most common cause of infectious mononucleosis (IM), generally known as mono. Sometimes referred to as the kissing disease, mononucleosis spreads easily through saliva and occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults. Most people will be infected with EBV in their lifetime. Symptoms and Illnesses Linked to EBV For most people, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections cause no symptoms. However, several illnesses caused by EBV infection — including mononucleosis — can cause symptoms. … Read more

Flu Season 2021: What You Need to Know

What is Influenza (Flu)? Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is caused by influenza viruses. “The flu” and “influenza” are generally used as umbrella terms for four subtypes of the influenza virus: A, B, C, and D. Influenza A and B are the most common in humans, with Influenza A generally being the most diverse and prevalent, as it can infect a number of animal species in addition to humans. Since it can infect numerous hosts, the capability for a mutation to develop and create a new … Read more

How to Find a Clinical Trial Near You

Participating in clinical trials is a great way to help advance medicine and, often, earn extra money. Most clinical trials at Meridian pay from $75 to $4,500 depending on several factors. But to take part in a clinical trial, you must first find clinical trial opportunities near you. In this article, you’ll learn of some great places to look to find paid medical studies in your area. 1: ClinicalTrials.gov Clinicaltrials.gov is a great resource to find clinical trials near you. The website is maintained by the National Institutes of … Read more

What are Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria in Clinical Trials?

Without clinical trials, it would be impossible to develop new medicines, cures, vaccines, and other medical products. These research studies test investigational products with human participants to ensure products are adequately safe and effective before they can be offered to the general public. Medical products with broad use, like over-the-counter medicines or vaccines, tend to be tested in a wide range of people with few restrictions as to who can participate in later phases of clinical trials, while medications or devices designed to help people with specific illnesses … Read more

Can You Catch COVID-19 Twice?

I Already Had the Coronavirus; Can I Get COVID-19 Again? Due to the high prevalence of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 and the many unanswered questions surrounding the novel coronavirus, many are worried about becoming infected. For those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, been sick with the virus already, or both, the worry might not be as strong due to the antibodies present in their bodies. But the question nevertheless is there: Can you get COVID-19 twice? The short answer is yes, but the longer answer takes … Read more

The COVID-19 Delta Variant: What It Means for Vaccinated People

The COVID-19 Delta Variant: Exploring the B.1.617.2 Variant of SARS-COV-2

I Got the COVID Vaccine: Should I Worry About the Delta Variant of Coronavirus? COVID-19 is still dominating headlines, but instead of focusing on the vaccination efforts around the globe, a relatively new variant of COVID-19, B.1.617.2, known as the Delta variant, is commanding media attention. Because of its highly contagious nature, some states, like Nebraska, Georgia and Louisiana are currently (as of July 27) seeing the rates of new coronavirus cases sit between 10 and 15%, and nationwide, over 83% of all new COVID-19 cases in the … Read more