The Massachusetts General Hospital has a long, rich, and diverse
tradition of excellence in clinical research that continues to
expand today. The extensive resources for training clinical
investigators and performing top quality translational
investigation include: An integrated full service primary,
secondary, and tertiary care hospital network with access to large
numbers of both local patients with common diseases and national
and international patients referred for evaluation of rare
disorders, over 600,000 square feet of research space, and a
diverse population of thousands of basic and clinical scientists
studying topics ranging from very basic molecular biology to direct
patient management.
The MGH Clinical Research Program (CRP) was established to
improve the environment for clinical investigation at the MGH
through academic enrichment programs and direct support services,
creating a culture in which all forms of clinical research can
flourish. Its mandate is to:
- Enhance bench to bedside research
- Train clinical investigators
- Increase clinical trial activity
- Support outcomes research and disease management
- Coordinate the MGH's efforts with those of Partners
HealthCare System and Harvard Medical School
The CRP serves as the institutional infrastructure that
encourages and supports its physician scientists by serving as an
interface between clinical investigators and sponsors of clinical
trials and outcomes research. We work to:
- Explore preferred relationships with pharmaceutical and biotech
companies
- Link industry to physicians for consulting, advisory board
seats, and trials
- Provide outcomes and disease management expertise
- Support the administration of clinical trials
- Negotiate master clinical trial agreements
The CRP provides a high level of clinical trial services to help
investigators compete and meet the demands on industrial sponsors.
Services to PIs include:
- Assistance with the IRB application
- Preparation and negotiation of budgets
- Contact facilitation
- Assistance in patient recruitment
- Data management support
- Assistance with strategy and proposal development for
corporate-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials
- Assistance with the development of large multi-center grant
applications
In addition to its role as a facilitator, the CRP has developed
and sponsored a series of educational courses and seminars for
current and future investigators and study coordinators. These
activities not only improve the quality of the investigators and
study coordinators but also raise awareness within the institution
about clinical research. Mentoring is available to young
researchers by fostering collaborations with established
investigators. New investigators are offered career advice and
assistance in developing and conducting research studies.
Since communication plays a critical role within the research
community, the CRP has developed an interrelated set of
communication and clinical research tools: CRnet an on-line
information source about clinical research at MGH; web-based query
tools and patient data registries to characterize patient
populations and assess clinical trial feasibility; software and
databases for investigator-initiated patient data registries and
disease management studies; and direct technical support for the
clinical investigative community.
The Clinical Research Program provides the infrastructure
necessary to support clinical research on an institution-wide
basis. By fostering academic collaboration, effecting communication
with industrial sponsors and promoting a focused and streamlined
administrative process, the CRP is building a responsive culture
conducive to clinical investigation.
Research Study Volunteer Program
RSVP for Health, the Research Study Volunteer
Program, connects interested volunteers with researchers at the
Massachusetts General & Brigham and Women’s Hospitals.
Volunteers come from all walks of life and can be of any gender,
age, ethnicity or racial background. Studies need both healthy
volunteers and people with an illness or inherited disorder.
We invite you to sign up for RSVP for Health to
be notified about studies of interest to you or your family. By
enrolling, you agree to receive information about studies and then
you can decide whether to participate. . . . Medical breakthroughs
are made possible by incredible people like you, who are willing to
volunteer for clinical studies to help determine if research ideas
hold promise.
Register online at
www.RSVPforHealth.partners.org or by phone
866-391-7030
