Today, May 20, we celebrate Clinical Trials Day, a global awareness day to recognize the critical role of clinical research. At UC San Diego Health Sciences, clinical trials are how we turn breakthrough ideas across disciplines into life-changing care.
These active trials enable us to explore promising new therapies, refine existing treatments and bring innovative science directly to patients.
Two of our cornerstone research collaborations — the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute (ACTRI) and Moores Cancer Center (MCC) — play a leading role in this effort. Together, they account for an extraordinary 70% of all clinical trial activity across UC San Diego.
Recent advances have allowed us to expand our reach and position Health Sciences as a hub for transformative science. For example, MCC is on track to enroll approximately 700 patients in therapeutic clinical trials this year — nearly double last year's total — and it has also considerably reduced activation times.
For ACTRI, this impact now extends into the Linda Vista neighborhood of San Diego, with the recently opened 1,800-square-foot satellite research clinic. The decision to establish this ACTRI satellite across the street from Rady Children’s Hospital marks a major step forward in expanding access to high-quality clinical research for pediatric populations. This is a powerful example of how infrastructure and collaboration can remove barriers and accelerate discovery in pediatric care.
These trials are more than numbers — they represent partnerships between researchers, clinicians and participants who volunteer to help advance medicine. For our students and trainees, they also offer invaluable learning experiences: real-time exposure to the scientific process, patient engagement and the ethical dimensions of research.
Clinical trials reflect who we are at UC San Diego Health Sciences: curious, collaborative and driven to improve health for all. For more information, read today's Q&A with ACTRI Director Davey Smith.
