Clinical Research vs Lab Research: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between clinical research and laboratory research?

Clinical research usually takes the form of clinical trials with human test subjects. These trials are typically designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new medical treatment, and the ways in which people live their lives can be a crucial factor.

Lab research, on the other hand, usually takes place in a laboratory and is generally less person-focused.

In this blog, we'll dig deeper into this topic and look at some more differences between lab research and clinical research.

 

What Is Clinical Research?

Clinical research is conducted on human patients in order to determine the safety and effectiveness of treatments in real-world conditions.

Clinical research often involves examining interactions between the body's various systems and evaluating different treatments / medications for a specific condition. Test subjects must always provide informed consent.

Multiple specialist roles exist within this field, such as:

• Clinical Project Manager (CPM)
• Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
• Clinical Data Management (CDM)
• Clinical Regulatory Affairs

All of these people work together to ensure that clinical trials are conducted safely and effectively.

 

What Is Lab Research?

Lab research focuses on conducting studies in controlled environments to learn about a disease's biological processes and how it might respond to different treatments. This can include analysing isolated cells or tissues, and lab research frequently involves working with non-human participants.

Lab research takes place in a laboratory, of course - that could mean a chemistry lab, a biology lab, a university, or a medical school. Information gathered in the laboratory helps medical professionals to diagnose, monitor, and treat diseases.

 

Responsibilities: Clinical Research vs Lab Research

If you decide to work in clinical research, your responsibilities will include:

• Researching diseases and potential treatments.
• Developing standards for medication potency, dosages, and mass manufacturing procedures.
• Conducting new research to enhance health outcomes.
• Developing research grant proposals and applying for funding from public sector sources.

Lab research, on the other hand, typically involves the following duties:

• Conducting laboratory tests to help diagnose, treat, and monitor patients.
• Ensuring the quality of blood for transfusions.
• Educating clinicians on the integrity and importance of laboratory test results.
• Overseeing lab personnel.
• Evaluating new testing methodologies.