UK, with partners, has been selected as a testing site for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 clinical research study, called the ENSEMBLE trial, to evaluate Janssen’s investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate. To date, more than 100,000 individuals have been vaccinated with a Janssen AdVac®-based vaccine.

Dr. Lisa Cassis, UK’s vice president for research, oversees the university’s vast medical and nonmedical research efforts. On this episode of "Behind the Blue," she discusses the many areas UK's Office of Research is prioritizing, including greater diversity and inclusion, the increasing commitment to opportunities for undergraduate research, returning research efforts to higher capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.

The study suggests that localized inflammation in the lungs caused by COVID-19 may be responsible for the increased presence of blood clots in patients, and that the risk of thrombosis could persist after the infection clears.