Ken Awuondo, Clinical Trials Laboratory Manager for the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya gives an overview of the role of the laboratory in clinical trials. In clinical trials, laboratory tests are used to establish inclusion and exclusion criteria, determine baseline parameters, monitor the safety of the participants and demonstrate the efficacy of the investigational product. The talk wraps up by discussing some of the challenges facing labs in clinical trials.