NCI-Sponsored Leadership Focused on Clinical Trial Enrollment

Abstract public domain (NIH RePORTER)

Project Summary/Abstract This five-year plan focuses on expanding cancer clinical trial enrollment to improve patient outcomes through leadership at both institutional and national levels, leveraging 15 years of experience in NCI clinical trials. As the inaugural Associate Director for Clinical Research, Director of Experimental Therapeutics, SWOG PI, and inaugural ETCTN PI at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, I oversee initiatives to expand our NCI portfolio, optimize clinical trial processes, enhance clinical trial access for all eligible patients, and mentor junior investigators to develop early-phase clinical trials through ETCTN/CTEP. Nationally, as SWOG Pancreas Subcommittee co-Chair and NCI Pancreas Task Force Member, I focus on novel clinical trial development, fostering collaborations across clinicians and researchers, and mentoring junior investigators to develop their NCTN careers. My institutional and national roles allow constant back-and-forth – applying lessons from one setting to the other, improving clinical trial processes and increasing accruals, developing connections between investigators at various sites. The specific new ventures during this next phase of my career are to: build dedicated institutional support for NCI clinical trials through clear funding lines and novel resource usage; provide focused mentorship to junior investigators at UCCC toward SWOG and ETCTN trials; increase accrual to clinical trials across our catchment area by aligning closely with our Community Outreach and Engagement team to address barriers and build community trust; develop the next generation of pancreatic cancer trials at SWOG by bringing novel therapies to the curative setting and incorporating ctDNA into adaptive trial designs. At both institutional and national levels, engagement of important stakeholders – community leaders and patient advocates – is a key focus, to expand the portfolio of trials and increase patient participation. My institution has supported me during my first six years here, and through this R50 funding, I will be able to dedicate the majority of my time to advance our overarching goal of increasing cancer clinical trial enrollment, creating a lasting impact on patient outcomes.

Public health relevance public domain (NIH RePORTER)

Project Narrative This five-year project aims to increase access to cancer clinical trials and improve patient outcomes by expanding NCI-sponsored clinical trial opportunities both locally and nationally. In my role as a leader at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, I work to streamline trial processes, support new researchers, and open more clinical trials that reach more patients in our catchment area. At the national level, I also help design innovative clinical trials for challenging cancers, like pancreatic cancer, ensuring more patients can benefit from cutting-edge research and treatment options.