The city of Durham formally recognized the importance of clinical research on May 18, when Mayor Leonardo Williams proclaimed May 20, 2026, as Clinical Trials Day during a Durham City Council meeting.
The proclamation emphasized the role that clinical trials play in public health by advancing understanding of health and supporting the development of safe and effective treatments. It also emphasized Durham’s commitment to improving the quality of life, health, and expanding opportunity for its residents.
Representatives from across the region’s research and education community attended the meeting, including the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) Research Triangle Park (RTP) Chapter, Durham Technical Community College, North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Durham Early College for Health Sciences, as well as Duke Health, the Duke University School of Medicine, the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), and the Duke Office of Clinical Research (DOCR).
Linda Shostak, representing the ACRP RTP Chapter, thanked city leaders for recognizing Clinical Trials Day, highlighted the field’s origins by tracing modern clinical research back to James Lind, and introduced representatives from participating organizations.
“I think it is really fitting that we recognize this day in Durham, because we’re the City of Medicine,” Shostak said before reading a statement on behalf of participating institutions.
Together, they emphasized the opportunity to more fully integrate research into patient care. At Duke Health, fewer than 3% of patients currently participate in clinical research, often due to gaps in access and awareness. Expanding research participation, the statement noted, often improves individual patient outcomes while advancing new discoveries.
The statement also recognized the thousands of patients who have participated in Duke clinical trials and highlighted partnerships with NCCU and Durham Tech to train the next generation of clinical research professionals.
Together, these efforts aim to ensure that research becomes a standard part of care and that more patients have access to innovative treatments.
Duke Clinical Research Institute leaders Willette Wilkins, MBA, chief strategy officer, and Matthew Healy, chief operating officer, attended the meeting on behalf of the institute, which continues to lead in clinical research locally and globally.
“At the DCRI, Clinical Trials Day affirms our commitment to advancing science, conducting rigorous clinical research that benefits patients and communities worldwide, and improving health through evidence-driven discovery,” Healy said.
Watch the presentation of the proclamation at the Durham City Council meeting. The proclamation begins 3 minutes into the video.