Cedars-Sinai has named Michael Farkouh, MD, associate dean of research and clinical trials, the health system said in a Jan. 18 news release. His appointment is effective March 1.
Across the health system — which includes more than 4,500 physicians and nurses, and upwards of 1,500 ongoing research projects — Dr. Farkouh will be responsible for expanding clinical trials across all disciplines and strengthening the infrastructure for Cedars-Sinai labs and facilities to properly support the expansion of research.
Dr. Farkouh is known for his leadership in diabetes and cardiovascular disease clinical trials. He currently directs cardiovascular clinical trials and translation unit at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Cedars-Sinai's focus on clinical trial expansion points to a larger national trend. Data from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which tracks clinical trials, shows a year-over-year increase of nearly 10 percent in the number of registered trials from this time last year. Right now, the number of national clinical trials sits at 439,220 — 77 percent of which are treatment and intervention-focused.