Right Place, Right Time: How Volunteer Registries Connect People to Relevant Clinical Trials That Matter to Them 

Every day, across the world, researchers are working to develop new treatments, improve diagnostics, and better understand how we live with, manage, and overcome disease. These efforts are fueled by science—but they only move forward because of people. People who are living with illness, caring for loved ones, or simply hoping for something better. People who say, “If I can help—even in a small way—I want to.”

However, too often, these individuals never hear about the studies that need them most.

It’s not because of a lack of interest. More often, it comes down to something simpler: timing, awareness, or uncertainty. Some people don’t know where to look. Others find out about a study only after it’s already full or closed. And many just aren’t sure if they’d even be eligible in the first place.

This disconnect between research and the people it hopes to reach has long stood in the way of progress. And while that challenge isn’t new, one approach has steadily gained momentum over the years: the volunteer registry. 

What Is a Volunteer Registry?

A volunteer registry is a secure and simple way for people to express interest in taking part in research. Individuals can sign up, share a few basic details, like health conditions, background, or how they’d like to be contacted, and choose to be notified if a future study might be a good fit.

Registries like these have been part of the research landscape for some time. One early national initiative in the U.S., ResearchMatch, was launched in 2009 by the National Institutes of Health to help connect volunteers and researchers directly. Since then, registries have grown in both reach and impact, becoming more inclusive, more intuitive, and more aligned with the needs of the communities they serve.

For researchers and study sponsors, registries make it easier to reach those who have already shown interest. Instead of relying on broad messages that may or may not find the right audience, they can focus outreach in a way that’s more personal, more meaningful.

Pfizer Connect: A Registry for Future Possibilities

One example of this approach is Pfizer Connect, a volunteer registry launched by one of the top three pharmaceutical companies. Powered by TrialX, the platform makes it easier for individuals to stay connected to relevant clinical trials without needing to constantly search or track updates.

Here’s how it works:

• Individuals fill out a brief online form—just a few minutes to share contact information, basic demographics, and health conditions they choose to disclose.
  
• As new studies become available, Pfizer Connect notifies those whose profiles may match.
  
• Opportunities can include clinical trials, observational studies, or market research.
  
• Each email includes clear next steps for those who are interested, and the study team carefully reviews eligibility to ensure that the study is a good fit for both the participant and the research.
  

It’s simple. It’s secure. And it ensures that people don’t miss out just because they didn’t happen to be searching at the right time.

Why This Matters—for People and for Progress

In clinical research, a missed opportunity isn’t just a scheduling issue—it can mean someone loses a chance to be part of something that could change their life, or the lives of others. So many people are open to joining a study, willing to help move science forward, or simply hoping for an option that brings them closer to answers. But too often, they never even hear about the opportunity until it’s already gone.

We are proud to support platforms like Pfizer Connect, designed to change that. They help reduce missed opportunities by keeping individuals informed early and connecting them with research opportunities that align with their preferences.

Sometimes, a simple sign-up can open the door to something life-changing. LaZann Allen, a research volunteer from South Dakota, shares her experience. After nearly a year of unexplained symptoms and inconclusive diagnoses, her husband submitted an inquiry through a registry—hoping it might finally lead them to answers.

“Six weeks later, I received an email inviting me to be a part of Dr. Bielekova’s study for multiple sclerosis,” said LaZann Allen.

That one email led to a proper diagnosis—giant cell arteritis—and timely treatment. Her story is just one example of how accessible registries can connect the right people to the right research, at the right time.

For individuals from communities that have historically been underrepresented in research, that choice represents something more: a step toward visibility, inclusion, and progress.

And for researchers and sponsors, registries like Pfizer Connect offer not only a way to reach people but a chance to build lasting trust, deepen community partnerships, and move research forward in a way that reflects the diversity of the real world.

To learn more and explore how the registry works, visit Pfizer Connect.