Emilie GARRIDO-PRADALIE

Director of Health Research at Assistance-Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM) since June 2018, I wish to strengthen Marseille’s position in clinical research. To achieve this, I have relied on the willingness of the management team. It has been essential to structure and increase the internal resources of the AP-HM in terms of research, methodology and promotion of trials.

Even at the size of the AP-HM, or perhaps because of its size, external collaborations are essential to boost clinical research. I would have liked to participate in the exciting adventure that must have been creating Marseille Immunopôle, this breeding ground for ideas and projects. I was able to appreciate its interest through the engagement of Marseille’s university hospitals in all sorts of projects (Future Investment Project, The Pioneer Project RHU, the FEDER project, and partnership projects with industry).

I accepted the proposal of Marseille Immunopôle to lead with them the EXPLORE COVID-19 project, from the very beginning of the health crisis. Our proven partnership allows us to act with complete confidence in an emergency. It is the assurance that the best scientists are mobilized to serve patients within the rigorous regulatory framework of clinical research. Following an initial study on the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 infection, our collaboration has further strengthened with the launch of FORCE (FOR Covid Elimination), a double-blind, randomized therapeutic clinical trial, 28 days after the launch of EXPLORE COVID-19. With hard work and respect for everyone’s skills, we were able to offer physicians an innovative treatment for patients with severe forms of the disease in record time.