Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, MGH Research Scholar Profile
MGH Research Scholar Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, former chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mass General, is using microsimulation models to inform the development of large-scale clinical trials.
Novel Approaches to Clinical Trial Design and Development
Steve and Deborah Gorlin MGH Research Scholar 2015-2020
Chief, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
Physician-Investigator, Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
In a national landscape of constrained research funding, the need to conduct large-scale clinical trials clearly outstrips the available resources.
With extensive mathematical modeling and policy experience, Dr. Walensky proposes to use novel microsimulation methods to inform the prioritization, development, and policy value of randomized controlled trials.
She will leverage a unique partnership between the Mass General Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC) modeling group, of which she is a senior member, and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) to improve and prioritize studies related to domestic and international HIV prevention and treatment.
Further, in collaboration with senior Mass General research faculty, she will extend and expand this methodology to other research areas where the hospital is a national leader, specifically amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and diabetes. Dr. Walensky’s goal is to maximize the return on investment for clinical trials, which will improve care for patients affected by these detrimental diseases.