In 2020, as COVID-19 spread across the globe, researchers faced an urgent challenge: finding treatments that could save the lives of patients hospitalised with the virus. One of the most important efforts was the RECOVERY trial, a clinical trial designed to rapidly test potential therapies and generate reliable evidence at a time when the world desperately needed answers.

Our guest, Professor Thomas Jaki, was part of the team behind RECOVERY from its earliest days. In this episode, he shares how the trial came together at remarkable speed, the challenges of conducting research during a global pandemic, and the key statistical and design decisions that allowed the study to deliver results quickly without compromising scientific rigour.

The impact was extraordinary. RECOVERY identified five life-saving COVID-19 treatments while also showing that several commonly used therapies were ineffective. Its findings influenced clinical practice around the world and helped shape the care of millions of patients.

It’s a fascinating conversation about clinical trials, decision-making under pressure, and the power of statistics to improve healthcare on a global scale.

Our host for this episode is Dr Min Zhang – a biostatistician with the University of Queensland's Clinical Trials Capability (ULTRA). She also serves on The Random Sample editorial group as a representative of the Statistical Society of Australia.