Leisha A. Emens, MD, PhD, UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre, Pittsburgh, PA, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on clinical research and development, with a focus on staffing issues. Since the start of the pandemic, many academic medical centers have lost staff to clinical research organizations and the pharmaceutical industry. Dr Emens attributes this to salary structure inequities and calls for these to be addressed, as well as for a better-defined professional pathway for entry-level clinical research staff to be created. Dr Emens also speaks on the impact of COVID-19 on activities that would usually be carried out face-to-face. Many employers now offer the option of remote work to their employees, to allow for greater flexibility. In clinical studies, utilizing telemedicine and drug home-delivery services has eased the burden of travel, and these are strategies that can be taken forward from the pandemic to increase the efficiency of the clinical research process. This interview was recorded via an online conference call with The Video Journal of Oncology (VJOncology).
