It is understood that academia and industry both have essential roles in bringing new and improved clinical products to the public. However, it is also generally agreed that academic-industry collaborations are tarnished by both real and perceived consequences of financial conflicts of interest. The first program in the Meeting the Challenge of Conflicts of Interest series from the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology brings together Dr. Gary Firestein of UC San Diego and Dr. Jeremy Barton of Pfizer for a clarifying conversation about this important challenge to medical research. (#24056)