He’s retired, so he has more time on his hands than he did when he was working in the automobile business. And at 81, his health is good.

So he signed up to volunteer for clinical trials offered by Be Well Clinical Studies, a medical research company in Lincoln.

 “I want to do anything I can to help battle these kinds of pandemics,” said Conrad, who has participated in trials for influenza vaccinations. 

Be Well was one of several organizations highlighted Tuesday during the launch of the Nebraska Clinical Trials Network, a collaboration intended to bring together groups working on clinical trials and highlight the impact of clinical research on the health of Nebraska patients and the state’s economy. The event was held at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The network also released a new Research in Your Back Yard report, which indicates that research groups currently have nearly 400 clinical trials open in the state. In total, more than 3,800 trials have been launched in the state, between those now open and those that have been completed, with researchers investigating some of the state’s biggest health care challenges. Those include Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, cancer and infectious diseases like influenza.

The investment at clinical trial sites has totaled $153.2 million, according to the report, and total economic impact is an estimated $394 million.

“Nebraska should be proud of what is taking place in the clinical research ecosystem here,” said Rob Owen, executive director of Bio Nebraska, a nonprofit trade association dedicated to supporting and growing the biosciences in the state.

Dr. Russell “Rusty” McCulloh, associate vice chancellor for clinical research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said efforts to increase collaboration among research groups in the state is in line with a national push to make clinical trials available to 90% of Americans within 30 minutes of their home. 

Behind that push is the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a research funding agency within the National Institutes of Health established with a mission of supporting biomedical and health breakthroughs to provide health solutions for Americans.

The agency’s first funding opportunities will come next year.

“It’s going to be important that we in Nebraska put our heads together and have a seat at the table, because we can do really amazing things,” he said.

Nationally, most clinical trials are conducted on the coasts, and those in the middle of the country are centered in large cities, he said. That’s not enough for those cities, and it’s not enough for people living in rural communities.

But expanding trials’ reach will take partnering with people in all communities.

“Fair access to clinical trials is fair access to health care,” said McCulloh, who recently returned from a community advisory board meeting in central Nebraska looking at how to support and care for children with Down syndrome as they age into adulthood. The life expectancy of children with Down syndrome has doubled from 30 to 60 over the past 15 years, which affects their medical needs over time.

State Sen. John Arch, speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, said he saw firsthand the impact of clinical trials on patient care as CEO of Boys Town National Research Hospital, the post he held before being elected.

“At the end of the day, it’s the patient care … that we care most about … and improving the lives of all of our citizens,” he said.