Science + Medicine: A Primer on Clinical Research

Milana Leygerman, the Clinical Research Supervisor for Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute, provides us with a broad overview of clinical research. With her experience at the bench and in various roles on clinical trials and projects, we felt Milana was a perfect fit for a discussion on clinical research as a whole and its relationship to basic science. In this conversation, we touch on the goals, regulatory procedures, ethical considerations, and types of clinical research. Milana also gives a framework for study design, lists the components of a research team, and explains the role of biorepositories. Woven into the discussion is her story of how she came to pursue a path in clinical research, the challenges of working in this field, and her passion for the advancement of medicine and the protection of human subjects.