Episode 10: The Data Behind the Industry - Ken Getz, Executive Director & Research Professor at Tufts CSDD

In this insightful, candid conversation, Ken Getz, Executive Director of the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, sits down with longtime friend Patty to trace a career built on shining a light on how clinical research really performs. From selling day-old bagels as a Brandeis undergrad to founding CenterWatch and the patient education nonprofit CISCRP, Ken has always paired an entrepreneurial streak with a deep passion for evidence. 

You’ll hear Ken and Patty explore what happens when data tells an uncomfortable story, why the patient engagement movement has yet to shift public perception, and the reasons innovation adoption stalls, even after a crisis like COVID. They also dig into the power of pre-competitive consortia and the unusual story of a founder buying back his own company. This episode explores why hard evidence is key to meaningful change in clinical research, and what it takes to be the messenger. 

What you’ll hear about 

• What happens when research data tells the industry an uncomfortable story? 

• Why hasn’t patient engagement improved public trust in clinical research? 

• Why did so many pandemic-era trial innovations fail to stick afterward? 

• How much is a single day of trial delay really worth? 

• How can pre-competitive consortia help companies stop reinventing the wheel? 

• What does the future hold for research sites in coming years? 

This episode is intended for clinical operations and R&D strategy leaders, offering a clear perspective on using evidence and benchmarking to justify innovation and drive performance improvement. 

Timestamps 

00:05 – From day-old bagels to clinical research

02:55 – Founding CenterWatch 

05:30 – Giving patients a voice: the birth of CISCRP 

06:15 – The magazine cover that sparked a mission 

07:30 – Why public trust in research is still so hard to win 

09:20 – The power of data to inspire change 

12:15 – When the data ruffles feathers 

19:45 – Committing to publish, positive or negative 

21:50 – The Tufts findings everyone quotes 

23:30 – What a day of delay is really worth 

25:15 – Why innovation takes so long to adopt 

26:55 – Pandemic innovation and perpetual pilot mode 

32:00 – The power of pre-competitive consortia 

37:50 – Founder’s dilemma: buying back CenterWatch 

44:15 – The future of research sites 

Guest Biography 

Ken Getz is the Executive Director and a Research Professor at the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, where his research on drug development costs, protocol complexity, and trial performance has become a trusted benchmark for the industry. A lifelong entrepreneur, he founded the clinical trials publisher CenterWatch and CISCRP, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public and honoring the gift of clinical trial participation. Across every role, Ken is driven by the belief that objective, independent evidence is one of the most powerful tools for improving how clinical research serves patients.