Dr. Joseph Unger is a biostatistician and health services researcher. He uses big data to understand more about cancer patients’ treatment outcomes and disparities, especially as they pertain to barriers to participating in clinical trials. He has been at the forefront of efforts to link Medicare claims data to clinical-trial records to address novel research questions. Dr. Unger also has extensive expertise in the design and analysis of prospective clinical trials that examine disease symptoms and treatment side effects, patient quality of life and delivery of cancer care. His research has revealed that factors such as annual household income and having multiple simultaneous health conditions, or comorbidities, can affect patients’ participation in clinical trials, as can structural and logistical issues such as the availability of a trial at the center where the patient is receiving treatment.