Upstate Clinical Research Associates 8201 Main Street, Suite 1, Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 626-6320
Effective date: September 2, 2026
About this policy
Upstate Clinical Research Associates (“Upstate,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates this website and conducts clinical research studies in Williamsville, New York. This policy explains what information we collect through our website and recruitment activities, how we use it, and the choices you have.
This policy covers our website and our study recruitment process. Once you enroll in a clinical study, the handling of your health information is governed by the informed consent form and authorization you sign for that specific study.
Information we collect
Information you give us directly. When you use the sign-up form, join our research database, request information about enrolling studies, or contact us, we may collect your name, phone number, email address, mailing address, date of birth, and general information about your health history or the conditions you are interested in.
Information collected when we speak with you. If you contact us or we call you about a study, we record the information you provide during that conversation, including your responses to prescreening questions.
Information from recruitment sources. We advertise our studies through social media platforms and work with patient recruitment vendors. When you respond to one of our advertisements or sign up through one of these services, that platform or vendor collects your contact information and the answers you provide, and then shares them with us. Those companies handle your information according to their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, ours receives technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and the pages you visit. We use cookies for basic site functionality and to understand how visitors use the site. This information is not used to identify you personally.
How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Respond to your questions and requests
- Determine whether you may be eligible for a clinical study
- Contact you about studies that may be a match, including by phone, email, or text message
- Maintain our research database of people who have asked to be considered for future studies
- Meet our obligations under applicable laws, regulations, and Good Clinical Practice standards
- Operate, maintain, and improve our website
How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information.
Your information stays within Upstate Clinical Research Associates and is shared only with our own staff who need it to do their work, except in the following circumstances:
Study sponsors and contract research organizations. If you enroll in a study, information about you will be shared with the sponsor of that study and the organizations working on their behalf. This happens only after you have reviewed and signed an informed consent form for that specific study, which explains exactly what will be shared and with whom. Simply signing up on our website or speaking with us on the phone does not result in your information being sent to a sponsor.
Service providers. We use outside companies to help us operate, such as website hosting, our clinical trial management system, telephone and messaging services, and patient recruitment vendors. These companies may handle your information in order to provide their services to us.
Regulatory and legal requirements. We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or governmental or regulatory authority, including institutional review boards and health authorities overseeing clinical research.
Safety. We may disclose information when necessary to protect the health or safety of a study participant or another person.
Text messages
If you provide your mobile number and agree to receive text messages from us, we may contact you by text about studies, appointments, and study-related reminders. Message and data rates may apply. You can stop receiving texts at any time by replying STOP to any message or by contacting us using the information below. Opting out of text messages does not remove you from our research database or prevent us from contacting you by phone or email.
Confidentiality of health information
Upstate Clinical Research Associates does not bill insurance and does not provide medical care outside of the clinical studies we conduct. We handle health information confidentially and consistent with the standards that apply to clinical research, including Good Clinical Practice and applicable federal and New York State privacy laws.
Information you share with us before enrolling in a study, such as answers to prescreening questions, is treated as confidential and is used only to determine whether you may qualify for a study.
How long we keep your information
We keep the information in our research database for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this policy, or until you ask us to remove you. Records related to clinical studies you enroll in are retained for the periods required by federal regulations and by the study sponsor, which are typically several years after a study ends.
Your choices
You can ask to be removed. If you no longer want to be contacted about studies, or you want your information deleted from our research database, contact us and we will remove you. Please note that if you have already enrolled in a study, regulations require us to retain the study records, and those cannot be deleted.
You can ask what we have. You may ask us what information we hold about you.
You can opt out of texts by replying STOP, as described above.
Cookies. Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies. Doing so may affect how parts of our site work.
Children
Our website is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through this website. Some clinical studies may enroll minors; in those cases, information is collected directly at our site with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, not through this website.
Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we hold. No method of transmitting information over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please do not send detailed medical information to us by email.
Links to other websites
Our site may link to websites we do not control, including sponsor websites, ClinicalTrials.gov, and social media pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the effective date at the top of this page. Please review it periodically.
Contact us
If you have questions about this policy, want to be removed from our research database, or want to know what information we hold about you:
Upstate Clinical Research Associates 8201 Main Street, Suite 1 Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 626-6320 amy@upstatecra.com