Season 2, Episode 4: Designing Clinical Trials That Matter with Dr. Lauren Kelly
Welcome back to The Emerging Scholar Podcast! Today’s episode features Dr. Lauren Kelly, an Associate Professor in Pharmacology & Therapeutics at the University of Manitoba and a scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Dr. Kelly leads the Clinical Pharmacology Lab, where her research focuses on pediatric and perinatal therapeutics, including medication safety in children, cannabinoid use in childhood and pregnancy, and opioid exposure during pregnancy—areas that have historically been underrepresented in clinical research.
Dr. Kelly is also shaping the future of clinical trials in Canada through her leadership roles as Scientific Director of the Canadian Collaborative for Childhood Cannabinoid Therapeutics (C4T) and Director of the pan-Canadian IMPaCT clinical trials training network. In this conversation, we explore emerging approaches to randomized controlled trial design, the evolving clinical trials landscape, and how national infrastructure and training platforms are making high-quality clinical research more accessible and feasible for early-career clinician scientists.
This episode is both educational and inspiring, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how evidence is built in complex and vulnerable populations. Whether you’re just beginning your research journey or considering expanding into clinical trials, Dr. Kelly’s insights highlight why this work doesn’t have to wait until later in your career—and why now is an exciting time to get involved.
Papers & Resources That We Touched On In This Episode:
- C4T Network
- Impact Trials
- PERC
- A Core Outcome Set for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
- Platform Trials: Key Features, When To Use Them and Methodological Challenges
- REMAP Cap Trial
- Placebo Effect in the Treatment of Acute Cough in Infants and Toddlers
- Designing for Dyads: A Multidisciplinary Panel on Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating Persons and Their Infants in Clinical Trials
- Cannabinoids Used for Medical Purposes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Guests
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Dr. Lauren Kelly
Dr. Lauren Kelly is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics at the University of Manitoba, a scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, and a Certified Clinical Research Professional. She serves as Clinical Trials Director at CHRIM and is a clinical trialist with the George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation.
Dr. Kelly leads the pan-Canadian Clinical Trials Training Platform IMPaCT (Increasing Capacity for Maternal and Paediatric Clinical Trials) and as an expert in pediatric clinical trials and pharmacovigilance, Dr. Kelly has advisory roles with KidsCAN Trials, RareKids-CAN, and Conect4Children in Europe. Dr. Kelly is a former member of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Health Products Containing Cannabis at Health Canada, co-lead of the Canadian Medical Cannabis Trials Network and a current member of the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids Board of Directors.
As Principal Investigator of the Clinical Pharmacology Lab, her research focuses on drug safety and effectiveness in children, pregnancy, and lactation. She has authored over 60 publications, secured more than $7 million in research funding, and holds advisory and leadership roles with national and international pediatric and cannabinoid research networks, including Health Canada.