After assuming oversight of the USC Clinical Trials Office (CTO) in January, the Keck School of Medicine of USC has announced the appointment of Melissa Archer, JD, as the new director of the CTO. Archer, who has a background in law, was identified through a comprehensive national search and comes to USC from leadership positions in clinical trials operations in the private sector and academia.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the talented and diverse faculty and staff in the USC research community,” Archer stated. “I look forward to bringing my experience to collaborate, and to support the school’s efforts to expand our clinical trial programs.”

Archer will lead the CTO through a transition that is designed to enhance the efficiency, user-friendliness and transparency of services available to support clinical trials at USC. The transition coincides with other major advances in USC’s environment for clinical research, including a new clinical trials management system, a clinical data warehouse for research, and a one-stop Clinical Research Support Office to assist research teams in the design and conduct of clinical studies.