More than 100 visitors attended the Clinical Research Support Center Open House to help celebrate the new center’s grand opening Sept. 4 despite the rain.
Attendees networked with colleagues, enjoyed refreshments, and learned more about the support and resources available to University of Minnesota clinical researchers and study teams through conversations, posters and handouts.
“The opening was fantastic with great energy and attendance at the Open House was strong,” said Bruce Blazar, MD, CTSI Director. “Several new connections were made and relationships were strengthened. This is the beginning of an exciting journey.”
The CRSC opening was also covered recently in the MN Daily.
Reducing study start-up timelines
The Clinical Research Support Center is a collaboration between the U’s primary clinical research service groups to take advantage of the resources offered by each in a team-based collaborative way, and in a convenient physical space to guide and support clinical researchers and study teams through the often complex and frequently changing clinical research process and ultimately reduce study start-up to first accrual timelines.
University of Minnesota Vice President for Clinical Affairs Jakub Tolar, MD, PhD, attended the Open House and is supportive of the CRSC and what it aims to do:
“One of the best ways to make the medical systems perform at their best is to remove barriers, streamline the clinical research process, and connect researchers to holistic resources across the University of Minnesota clinical research community," said Dr. Tolar. “The new Clinical Research Support Center will enable faster study start-up times and thus accelerate the application of the University's research discoveries in patients across the state.”
The CRSC had a soft launch over the summer with select researchers to refine processes and workflows that were initially informed by the work of more than 140 individuals across the U of M clinical research community.
CRSC Open House attendees were eligible for $25 gift cards to the University of Minnesota Bookstore. Winners include: Audrey Boyle, Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences, Patty Beckman and Andrea Johnson from the Masonic Cancer Center, Shannon Luloff from AHC HR, and Deb Finstad from the Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
Guiding researchers through the process
Team members from more than 20 functional service groups from the four partners—the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Office of the Vice President for Research, Fairview Health Services, and University of Minnesota Physicians—are available to guide and support researchers and study teams through the various stages of the clinical research process, including budgeting, contracts, and regulatory approvals.
CRSC guidance may be especially helpful to junior investigators or researchers new to clinical research at the University of Minnesota.
Drop in during office hours Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm, call the CRSC at 612-625-4000 or email inquiries to [email protected].