As of September 1, 2016, Dr. Greg Samsa has taken the position of the Director of the Research Integrity Office and Chair of its Conflict of Interest Committee for the Duke School of Medicine. This office has the responsibility to ensure Duke SOM maintains the highest standards of research integrity; that Duke faculty and staff are trained and in compliance with the regulatory requirements that govern research, and to identify and manage any conflicts of interest that may be created by a financial interest.
The ethical landscape has shifted in recent years with a greater emphasis on data provenance and reproducibility of research results, and statisticians have a unique role to play in understanding the nuances around these and similar issues.
Dr. Samsa comments: “Translating research into practice requires partnership between academia and industry; for example, industry benefits by collaboration with those who are developing new methods and also with those clinicians who see the patients who can potentially benefit. Faculty members reap the benefits of entrepreneurship. The goal of the Research Integrity Office is to ensure that this entrepreneurship proceeds responsibly and is in the best interest of everyone involved, including patients.”