Fostering innovation without compromising integrity

Industry's interaction with academia has created vast opportunity for innovation but also the potential for undue financial influence. Potential conflicts of interest can occur at the level of the individual researcher or the institution. Implementing guidelines and policies on conflicts of interest can help maintain appropriate separation between academic medicine and industry while permitting medical innovation to proceed. In an effort to retain public trust, Stanford University School of Medicine has enacted policies to identify and manage potential conflicts among its faculty, to divest of holdings in companies conducting studies involving Stanford investigators, and to ban all industry marketing and gifts from Stanford facilities.