To make strides in scientific research, it takes more than making a hypothesis and then getting after it. Research takes resources, and we’re not just talking funding. Many studies require human test subjects who possess certain qualities or conditions. And for studies with more niche focuses, it can be tough to recruit people with the highly particular and even rare characteristics needed to conduct research.
Having experienced this firsthand is Evan Ehrenberg, a Neuroscience PhD candidate at MIT and a co-founder of the upcoming platform Xperii. With the release of this online network, Ehrenberg and the rest of the Xperii team hopes to facilitate easier access to eligible research subjects.
“Typically, we post flyers to recruit test subjects,” explained Ehrenberg. “My fiancée Cynthia saw that we were doing this and said, ‘This is so primitive. You’re MIT neuroscientists and you’re putting up flyers. Is there really no better way to recruit?’”
Coming up with Xperii
After exploring all existing options, such as companies that hold marketing campaigns for studies in need of subjects, he came to the conclusion that none of the possibilities were that helpful.
“No one was solving this problem in an easy and affordable manner for scientists,” he told me.
So that’s when the wheels started turning, and the concept of an online platform joining scientists and local pools of different test subjects emerged. Cynthia Chen - the Cynthia aforementioned who is a student at Brown - put her idea into motion and started building out the platform. And joining her and Ehrenberg on this endeavor is Daniel Williams, who’s currently at BC. Now, the entire Xperii team is working on raising a round of seed funding, as well as preparing for their beta launch in January that they anticipate to be mutually beneficial to researchers and subjects alike.
So many benefits for scientists
On the one hand, members of the scientific community are already seeing the pros presented by Xperii. People from a number of industries - academia, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods - all recognize the value in an easier way to reach the people they need for their research.
“I’ve reached out to my connections throughout the academic research community and have received positive feedback so far,” said Ehrenberg. “It’s also important to them to develop a payment system. Now, subjects are paid in petty cash that’s kept in the lab, so there’s a need for a better system.”
Not to mention, there’s a rating system in place that lets researchers call out subjects for lying about their credentials, which helps ensure that studies are conducted accurately.
What's in it for test subjects?
On the test subjects’ side of the exchange, Xperii believes that they are presenting people going through tough financial times the chance to earn cash and quickly.
“It’s especially important for Cynthia that we’re helping people in difficult economic situations,” Ehrenberg elaborated. “People who need money and are having a hard time finding jobs can have the chance to find research near them and have money in their hands that very day.”
Sometimes, paying economically disadvantaged individuals to participate in studies can leave a sour taste in people’s mouth, seeing it as a form of extortion. However, the Xperii team clarified that the vast majority of the research posted on their site will be non-invasive and not dangerous.
“We don’t want test subjects to feel like they have to do questionable drug testing to make money,” Ehrenberg clarified. “Any pharmaceutical studies will be safe, clinical trials. But most of the research will be tests that involved things like sitting in an MRI and looking at images.”
In that same vein, there will also be a vetting process for scientists looking for subjects through Xperii. Before researchers can post anything, they have to show that they’re from a real, reputable lab, so subjects are safe.
Images via Evan Ehrenberg.
