My PhD projects aim to investigate and optimize the translational process in pediatric solid tumors. Translation from preclinical discoveries to clinical applications is often experienced as time-consuming and costly. In addition, many preclinical discoveries never make it to the clinic. The result is a persisting gap between research evidence and clinical practice, an accumulation of knowledge that patients do not benefit from, and an inefficient use of the money invested in research every year.
In my PhD projects, we combine a biomedical perspective with techniques developed within organization science, such as process mining, to analyze the process of translation. What does translation look like, and which factors contribute to its success? As one of the key elements of the translational process, clinical trial design and performance is one of the main focus areas of this PhD.