DCRI Think Tanks demonstrate what is possible when you bring smart people together to tackle the biggest challenges in clinical research. From developing innovative approaches to addressing diversity and inclusion to leveraging artificial intelligence, these meetings are about creating pathways to useful, focused discussions across the healthcare continuum and then moving consensus to action.
Our mission: Address the most critical gaps in clinical research by convening leaders across the healthcare industry to map the way forward in designing, conducting, and implementing high-quality, evidence-based research.
Expert Meetings & Resulting Insights
For over 30 years, DCRI Think Tanks have convened leaders across the healthcare industry to map the way forward in designing, conducting, and implementing high-quality, evidence-based research. Below, learn about our most recent meetings and read insights from leading experts, or visit our archive of meetings and publications.
Recent DCRI Think Tanks
DCRI Think Tanks brought together leaders from academic, regulatory, payor, policy, industry, and patient stakeholder groups to tackle the major issues in anti-obesity medication development. Discussions delved into the transformational change in the landscape of anti-obesity pharmacotherapy, health targets for obesity treatment, regulatory policies, clinical trial design, health system and payor implications, and a thoughtful examination of ethics and equity in obesity research and care. The obesity use case is a framework for the clinical research ecosystem to adapt to groundbreaking innovations with widespread uptake to optimize overall health.
Meeting attendees discussed the following themes and opportunities for action:
- What therapeutic targets to optimize overall health, beyond weight reduction alone, should we aim for in patients with obesity?
- How can guidance from regulatory authorities be updated to facilitate efficient and equitable research in the obesity therapeutic space? How will this impact clinical/registration trial design?
- How can we address access issues related to cost, coverage, and drug shortages?
Directors: Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, DCRI, and Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD, Yale University; Meeting Fellow: Pishoy Gouda, MB, BCH, BAO, MSC
In May 2024, DCRI Think Tank collaborators investigated the potential applications of real-world data (RWD) in randomized clinical trials by sharing prior experiences, identifying barriers, and proposing solutions acceptable to clinical researchers, healthcare communities, and regulators in both the U.S. and Europe with the intention of identifying efficient and appropriate approaches to integrate RWD in randomized clinical trials.
Meeting attendees discussed the following themes and opportunities for action:
- RWD are useful for clinical trials, but infrastructure is still lacking.
- Identify challenges in acceptability of RWD use and develop an educational process to overcome these challenges.
- The clinical research ecosystem can and must be simplified.
- Use of RWD requires careful consideration of fitness for purpose.
- Support collaboration, cooperation, and partnership between sponsors and regulatory authorities.
Directors: Lisa Wruck, PhD, DCRI, and Stefan James, MD, PhD, Uppsala University; Meeting Fellow: Nina Nouhravesh, MD
In January 2024, a DCRI Think Tank session on “Embracing Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Clinical Research and Beyond” brought together leadership from academia, industry, government, agency, and payer groups to explore the current and potential future application of AI/Large Language Models (LLMs) in clinical research, considerations for review and validation of their outputs, privacy and security concerns, regulatory considerations and needs, and ethical concerns.
Meeting attendees discussed the following themes and opportunities for action:
- Generative AI can and should help conduct clinical research. Map the clinical research process in detail to better identify current challenges and the opportunities for AI-informed solutions.
- The critical role of evaluating the effectiveness and impact of AI use cases.
- Trust and transparency must serve as the guiding principles for fostering integrity in innovation.
- Safeguarding the future requires guardrails and universal ethical standards.
- Prioritize collaborative efforts and community engagement.
Directors: Chris Lindsell, PhD, DCRI, Peter J. Embí, MD, MS, Vanderbilt University, and Chuan Hong, PhD, Duke University; Meeting Fellow: Henry Foote, MD, Duke University
Recent Think Tank Publications
Drug Development for Major Chronic Health Conditions–Aligning With Growing Public Health Needs
Lessons from COVID-19 for Pandemic Preparedness: Proceedings From a Multistakeholder Think Tank
"Click and Mortar" Opportunities for Digitization and Consumerism in Trials
Leaders and Partners
The DCRI Think Tanks Advisory Board
Advisory board partnerships with industry leaders help the DCRI Think Tanks program address the right topics, at the right time, with the right people. Our partners provide crucial insight and connections that go beyond DCRI's clinical and operational expertise. From guidance on attendees, framing discussion topics, and contributions to resulting publications, our advisory board members are players in the lifecycle of every event.
