Research
Research Resources

Conduct a Clinical Trial

Are you a Patient?

Empowering Trial Success

Keck School of Medicine of USC faculty members lead and participate in many of the nation’s largest multi-center clinical trials and studies.

In the battle against devastating diseases such as cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s and heart disease, a major effort is the development and testing of new tactics: surgeries, drugs, radiation therapies, preventive therapies and combinations of those that might lead to a cure. Clinical trials contribute to finding new and better ways of treating diseases.

Physician confers with patient.

  • The USC Clinical Trials Office (CTO) is responsible for managing various administrative tasks related to clinical research. This includes contracting, Medicare coverage analysis, budgeting, fiscal management, purchasing, interim project staffing, and research billing compliance. In addition, the USC CTO acts as a bridge between the clinical research community and industry. It aims to facilitate efficient start-ups, foster strategic partnerships, and enhance communication between these two entities. The USC CTO employs highly trained staff to deliver these services. Its primary goal is to ensure that the principal investigators’ work is completed promptly and in compliance with all relevant regulations and laws governing human-subject clinical research.

    For more information, call 323.442.7218 or visit USC CTO (Clinical Trials Office)

  • Supported by the National Institutes of Health and local funding, the SC CTSI provides investigators with a range of research resources — from robust clinical trials units and $400K per year in funding opportunities to mentorship and career development for clinical and translational researchers.

  • The Clinical Investigation Support Office (CISO) of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center supports clinical trials research for cancer center members. For further information, please contact the CISO at (323) 865-0451.

    Common Requests

  • New Study Navigation Tool

    The New Study Navigation Tool help you determine where to go to activate your clinical research study at USC, including contracting offices, review committees, and ancillary services. Based on your answers to basic questions (type of funding, study location), it displays the primary units and systems you can expect to interact with on the road to study activation. Note: there may be exceptions, depending on your specific circumstances. Go to the tool page.

    Institutional Review Board

    The USC Health Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a panel of 36 scientists, researchers and others in the community who review and approve proposals for clinical trials conducted by investigators of USC. The board is responsible for reviewing each proposal for safety and ethical issues and ensures the protection of patients participating in research projects.

    The IRB is managed by the USC Office of Research Innovation. For more information, call (323) 223-2340 or visit the IRB website.