As health workers labor tirelessly to care for those who have been infected, monitor those who may have come in contact with the virus, and prevent further transmission, researchers have a limited window of opportunity to learn how to treat and prevent the disease. In order to accelerate progress, governance of the clinical trials must be transparent, and all knowledge about the disease, including developments regarding potential treatments and vaccines, must be shared openly – imperatives that will require strong public-health leadership in both the Mano River countries and the developed world.