Connecting families to hope
Jennifer Hosford brings clinical trials to life at the UF diabetes research program
Jennifer Hosford, M.P.H., works with the UF Diabetes Institute to advance diabetes research and care.
Aug. 3, 2026 — Before most people have even finished their morning cup of coffee, Jennifer Hosford, M.P.H., has already unpacked materials for a young patient she’ll accompany throughout a four-year clinical trial for Type 1 diabetes. Back in her office, the rising sun will cast rays onto the teddy bears, slinkies and drawings that abound there, all tokens of gratitude from the patients and families whose lives she’s impacted.
Hosford serves as a clinical research manager in the University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, where she oversees the work of about eight clinical research coordinators in the diabetes research program who, in turn, organize roughly 14 clinical trials across the southeastern United States. Part problem-solver and part ringleader, she works behind the scenes to ensure all aspects of the trials run smoothly, allowing researchers to devote their full attention to recruiting patients and recording data.
Whether applying for grants, creating budgets, writing safety protocols or training staff, Hosford is at the forefront of clinical research every step of the way. She is not only responsible for coordinating trials for the University of Florida, but also for 10 affiliated sites throughout the Southeast in partnership with TrialNet, an international consortium of clinical centers that screen patients for Type 1 diabetes across the globe. Her work as the overall site leader for these locations is indispensable, both locally and globally.
“Jennifer is, in many ways, the glue that holds our team together,” said Michael Haller, M.D., a professor and chief of the Division of Endocrinology in the Department of Pediatrics. “She has unmatched institutional knowledge, a sincere and deeply held dedication to exceptional patient and research participant experiences and an uncanny ability to navigate complicated processes. I am incredibly grateful she continues to put so much energy into helping us move the field of Type 1 diabetes forward.”
A patient herself
Hosford with coordinators Danielle Poulton, L.P.N., and Sarah Peeling.
Although earning a master’s degree in public health with a focus on epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Florida trained Hosford in the methodological operations of clinical research, she credits her own experience in hospitals as the reason she’s so attuned to the needs and concerns of young patients.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of medical problems myself,” she said. “And since my family has also dealt with a lot of very complex medical issues, we’ve had to navigate clinical research and the pitfalls of some of that back in the early 2000s, before there were a lot more protections like there are now.”
Experiences like these shaped why Hosford considers her work a calling and why she strives to cultivate joy and laughter during clinical trials.
“I do my best to make sure everything we do is patient-focused,” she said.
Exactly what that “everything” looks like varies daily, from writing progress reports and communicating with sponsors to ensuring researchers have the proper equipment and software needed to complete their jobs. These trials cannot operate without Hosford, but for her, nothing takes precedent over the time she spends interacting with patients.
“If I can’t see how what I’m doing is affecting patients, and if I can’t know I’m making a difference in kids’ lives and their parents’ lives, then it doesn’t mean anything,” she said.
For Hosford, a successful day means holding patients’ hands, smiling and watching their confidence rise while their A1c lowers. On the days when her work might feel taxing, witnessing the steadfast devotion of her team and the clinicians at the UF Diabetes Institute continuously drives her to excellence.
“I love that they rage against the dying of the light,” Hosford said. “I love that they don’t care what the paradigm is. They’re going to tell the truth, and they’re going to present the data as it is.”
Research on the horizon
Hosford with team members including Shivani Berry, M.D., Tuyen N. Tran, N.P., and Barbara Gonzalez, M.D., at a Pediatric Endocrine Society meeting.
New types of drug discovery platforms are revolutionizing how researchers design studies in Type 1 diabetes, a development Hosford calls “a brave new world.”
Antiquated systems in Type 1 diabetes research once meant incorporating a new drug into clinical trials could take 10 years, not including the run time needed for the trial itself. New methods, such as adaptive platforms, offer promising alternatives to this lengthy timeline by allowing researchers to channel multiple drugs through a system that will automatically determine whether the medication has met its six-month endpoint. Techniques like these drastically expedite the process for researchers in their quest to find a cure for diabetes.
From the outside, patients with diabetes share a very similar clinical profile, displaying low blood sugars, needing insulin and wearing a continuous glucose monitor. But diabetes is a very heterogeneous disease because their immune systems do not always respond to drugs in the same way. This is why new technologies are invaluable in identifying the type of patient most likely to benefit from a particular drug, before scientists begin testing it in clinical trials.
Hosford’s excitement for what lies ahead in clinical research embodies the unique ways she is leading the fight against diabetes with unflinching precision and integrity, one smile at a time.
“It’s about the kid who belongs to the family, and that kid means everything to that family,” she said. “And so, they mean everything to me.”
