May is Clinical Trials Awareness Month, culminating on May 20 with International Clinical Trials Day. For institutions like ours, this is an opportunity to commemorate the importance of clinical research and the valued contributions of clinical research professionals around the world.
MSK cares for nearly 16,000 cancer patients on active protocol treatment — a collective effort that involves clinicians and healthcare professionals, clinical research administrators, and innovators who unite to support our renowned clinical research enterprise.
“MSK has long been a leader in clinical research, driving scientific breakthroughs that have shaped cancer care worldwide,” emphasized Paul Sabbatini, MD, SSVP, Clinical Research.
As one measure of our institution’s impact, MSK clinical trials have played a significant role in the FDA’s approval of more than 40 drugs since 2019. This does not account for the progress supported by non-drug-related trials, including surgical research, radiation oncology, noninterventional studies, and population science.
Hundreds gathered at MSK on May 6, 2025, in the Zuckerman Research Center for the MSK Innovation with Lasting Impact Summit: Clinical Trial Innovation and MSK, including our clinical care providers, innovators, and clinical research administrators joined by healthcare executives and investors. Lisa DeAngelis, MD, Chief Physician Executive, delivered opening remarks, emphasizing MSK’s deep and longstanding commitment to clinical research.
The Future of Clinical Trials at MSK — and Around the World
Dr. Sabbatini discussed the close connection between clinical trial innovation and our sustained ability to provide the highest quality clinical care to our patients. “To stay on the cutting edge, we now need technology that can keep pace with the science and transform how trials are designed, run, and scaled,”
Presentations and a panel discussion explored the future of clinical trials; opportunities and challenges facing the industry; and different perspectives on innovation, including from a number of leading MSK clinicians. Alexander Drilon, MD, Chief of MSK’s Early Drug Development Service, announced the launch of our new Accelerated Advantage initiative, designed to improve efficiencies in starting clinical trials.
Speakers highlighted the value of collaboration between academic research institutions like MSK and external stakeholders such as trial sponsors and digital healthcare innovators.
“The future of clinical trials demands smarter, faster, and more inclusive research. No single group can do this alone. It will take deep collaboration across research sites, sponsors, regulators, and technology partners to truly transform how trials are run,” said Joseph Lengfellner, Senior Director of MSK’s Clinical Research Informatics & Technology (CRIT) team and a co-founder of MSK’s Clinical Research Innovation Consortium (CRIC), which encourages collaborative partnerships with industry.
For years now, MSK has played an outsized role in oncology-focused clinical research. In 2023, MSK enrolled nearly one-quarter of all accruals (newly enrolled participants) in investigator-initiated clinical trials across the nation’s 73 NCI-designated cancer centers.
An Institution-wide Commitment to Clinical Research — and Innovation
A group discussion at the May Innovation Summit focused on Clinical Research Administration (CRA), highlighting the essential role played by hundreds of people at MSK, ranging from clinical research nurses and compliance and regulatory experts, to technology and operational specialists, and more.
“Our clinical research operations team is the engine that keeps trials running, managing day-to-day logistics, partnering with sponsors, and ensuring patients stay at the center of everything we do. At the same time, we’re constantly identifying opportunities to streamline, improve, and modernize the way trials are executed,” said Stephanie Terzulli, PhD, VP of Clinical Research Operations, and a Co-lead of the Clinical Research Innovation Consortium.
So many skilled professionals throughout MSK make a difference. “Clinical trial nurses are a vital component in our innovation efforts, seamlessly integrating patient care with cutting-edge clinical research,” said Ruthann Gordon, MSN, RN, FNP-BC,OCN, Director of Clinical Trials Nursing at MSK. “Their dedication to both scientific advancement and compassionate care ensures that we not only meet but exceed the standards of clinical excellence.”
MSK’s clinical research enterprise is a collective endeavor supporting nearly 50,000 annual protocol visits by patients. We are exploring ways to make participation in our trials more patient-friendly and accessible, including through initiatives that support remote clinical care delivery.
“Driving innovation in clinical trials is exciting, but it must happen within the guardrails of a highly regulated environment,” said Collette Houston, VP of Clinical Research Compliance at MSK. “To implement new solutions at scale, we must collaborate closely with regulators and ensure that progress never comes at the expense of patient safety or data integrity.”