Medical Research & Clinical Trials

Research transforms our understanding of disease and genetic changes and how our bodies respond to them.

Types of research we conduct include:

• Basic – This approach focuses on acquiring new knowledge. Basic research lays the groundwork that raises questions to be answered in further studies.
• Translational – This research is "bench-to-bedside" work. We take what we learn from basic and clinical research and transform it into treatments and devices that advance patient care.
• Clinical – This research explores health and disease in people. It teaches us the best ways to diagnose, manage, prevent and treat illness.

Clinical research takes different forms, including:

• Behavioral studies – Research to understand how human behavior impacts health and disease.
• Clinical trials – Tests and studies to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a new device, medicine, therapy or treatment.
• Epidemiological studies – Investigators study the causes, effects and patterns of health and disease in different groups of people.
• Observational studies – To gain more knowledge, researchers monitor aspects of human health or natural relationships without intervention or manipulation.

Translational research is used to prevent, cure and eradicate human disease through accelerated translation of research from "bench-to-bedside." This dynamic process brings innovations made in our labs directly to our clinical patients by "translating" discoveries made by researchers into leading-edge therapies and medicines to drive extraordinary care.

Through robust industry partnerships, external funding and philanthropic support, Beth Israel Lahey Health invests in translational research to quickly develop diagnostics and therapeutics designed to improve the health of our patients and communities

Precision medicine strives to create personalized treatment plans for patients based on their unique circumstances and individual molecular profile. For example, by understanding how your body breaks down a specific medicine, we can prescribe specialized therapeutics.

Our researchers use translational research to manage a wide array of conditions in a wide array of conditions including cancer and infectious diseases. 

When you volunteer for a clinical trial, you improve health care for yourself and your community. You also help doctors and scientists learn more about how the body and mind work.

People take part in clinical research for different reasons, including:

• Gaining access to leading-edge experimental treatment or therapy
• Advancing scientific learning
• Contributing as a healthy volunteer
• Furthering our understanding of a specific health condition
• Helping others

Researchers across Beth Israel Lahey Health contribute to thousands of clinical trials across nearly all medical specialties. We have a variety of open studies for patients, including cancer and diabetes treatments, investigational drug therapies and innovative surgical techniques.

Clinical trials lead to innovative advances, such as multi-modal pain therapy and early mobilization after joint surgery. These approaches are now best practices that lead to shorter hospital stays and excellent patient experiences and recovery.