In a pivotal move to revolutionize the clinical research landscape, the MSK Clinical Research Innovation Consortium (CRIC) held its inaugural kick-off meeting in November 2025. Spearheaded by founding member MSK, the meeting welcomed new CRIC members Moffitt Cancer Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the Tisch Cancer Center of Mount Sinai Health System. Together, all four institutions will serve as critical clinical trial site pipelines, positioning them uniquely to drive meaningful change in the global clinical research ecosystem.
“Oncology research is increasingly moving towards a collaborative model driven by scientific need,” says Paul Sabbatini, MD, Senior Vice President for Clinical Research at MSK. “As the meeting point of sponsors, regulators, patients, and investigators, clinical research sites play a critical role in defining the technologies and innovations that improve clinical trial operations. The consortium is particularly exciting because it brings together leading cancer centers across the country to share knowledge, demonstrate reproducibility of technologies and processes, and ultimately make it easier to collaborate on trials that benefit patients.”
A Shared Vision and Blueprint for Success
CRIC aims to address the fragmented nature of global clinical research by fostering collaboration, validating innovative technologies, and scaling solutions to make research more efficient, equitable, and impactful.
Its mission is to create a collaborative framework and forum for knowledge sharing, innovation, and collective influence. This will enable members to validate and scale technologies, improve operations, and drive industry-wide change toward a more connected and accessible research environment.
Consortium members are united around key objectives including:
Increase Operational Efficiency: Reduce overhead and streamline trial execution through scalable technologies, optimized processes, and cross-institutional strategies.
Expand Patient Access & Advance Health Equity: Leverage digital innovations and decentralized trial models to reach diverse patient populations globally.
Leverage Advanced Data Analytics & AI: Apply machine learning, AI, and data visualization to curate data and generate actionable insights that drive research outcomes.
Enhance Decision-Making: Empower researchers, stakeholders, and patients with data-informed insights to accelerate progress and improve outcomes.
Foster Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Create a forum for transparent dialogue, shared learning, and joint initiatives that strengthen the collective voice of research institutions.
Collaborate on Policy & Standards: Partner with regulatory bodies to shape and implement modernized standards that promote innovation and integrity in clinical research.
Voices from the Consortium
“Moffitt joined CRIC because we believe technology can transform every step of clinical research—from study design and feasibility to trial matching, enrollment, and beyond,” noted Milijana (Mili) Ugrenovic-Petrovic, MPM, LSSGB, a Senior Director, Clinical Research operations, at Moffitt Cancer Center. “We’re passionate at Moffitt about embedding innovation into operations to remove barriers and create a seamless experience for patients and teams. By collaborating with CRIC centers, we can share ideas, validate solutions, and scale what works—bringing lifesaving therapies to patients faster and shaping a brighter future for cancer research.”
“This partnership highlights our commitment to advancing clinical research through collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence,” said Jessica Moehle, CCRP, Senior Clinical Research Administrative Director at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. “By bringing site voices together through CRIC, we ensure technology solutions are practical, efficient, and responsive to the needs of investigators, research teams, and participants. Huntsman Cancer Institute and other CRIC sites are setting new standards for site-driven clinical research technology, keeping site perspectives central and aiming to drive broader adoption through collective impact.”
“Participation in CRIC enables us to bring our expertise together with that of leading cancer centers across the country to better understand and improve how clinical research is delivered,” said Erick Herrscher, MBA, MS, Interim Senior Director for Cancer Clinical Research and Senior Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program at Mount Sinai’s Tisch Cancer Center. We are united under a shared priority: to streamline and simplify the clinical research pathway. By addressing common challenges and exploring novel technology collaboratively, we not only reduce duplication but benefit from shared learning and the wide range of perspectives each center brings. As a collective, we can make steady, meaningful enhancements that help bring new treatments to our communities sooner.”
Next Steps
During the Kickoff meeting, representatives from CRIC’s participating institutions explored potential collaboration opportunities, including with IgniteData and Triomics, two digital health companies that are participants in the MSK Innovation Hub. Their iHub collaboration projects aim to leverage cutting-edge technologies to enhance clinical trial operations and patient engagement.
The CRIC Kickoff meeting marked a significant step forward. By uniting leading cancer centers under a shared vision, CRIC is poised to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and ultimately bring life-saving therapies to patients faster and more equitably.
As of January 2026, the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center has also joined the consortium.