Focus Track Fridays: Clinical and Regulatory Affairs

"Like the business of bioscience, clinical and regulatory affairs has its imprint on all other focus tracks. If it could be said that the other focus tracks form the structure and skeleton of KGI, clinical and regulatory affairs, like the business of bioscience, could be considered the central nervous system." - Stella Marks (Assistant VP for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at KGI).

During the afternoon discussion at the past Focus Track Friday event, Dr. Mark Ghamsary, Director of the Biostatistics Program, implemented the use of the above YouTube video in order to provide a comical context for the space where KGI students enter the industry. Successful research requires the collaboration and coordination of diverse groups of people who may not always possess the same goals or even speak in the same terms. KGI students act at the interface between these various groups. Their professional training prepares them to be effective communicators and translators, ensuring effective and efficient knowledge transfer. KGI's Focus Track Friday showcasing Clinical and Regulatory Affairs brought a myriad of experts from around the country to KGI in order to interact with students allowing them to get a feel for the world of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs in the real world. Among panelists were Timothy Cote, the Director of the Office of Orphan Product Development at the FDA, Dr. Steven Piantadosi of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and industry representatives from Gilead Sciences, Quintiles, and Anika Therapeutics to name a few.

Through small breakout groups, prospective students, current students, and even alumni were able to engage with industry professionals in discussions about the current state of Clinical and Regulatory affairs and where a KGI graduate fits in and how he/she can contribute to transmitting new ideas through the industry to benefit doctors and patients.

By Christina Lai (MBS '11)