Our Research Team

A common form of clinical research that helps investigators learn more about a particular condition or disease or understand how best to treat patients. A clinical trial may be conducted in an effort to discover new drugs, surgical techniques, or cutting-edge therapies.

A protocol describes the rules that must be followed during the research study. It also dictates how the research team must protect the health and well-being of the research volunteers. It includes information related to the study’s procedures, medications being used, possible risks and benefits, potential adverse effects, and data analysis methods.

Each clinical trial has guidelines on who may participate, with criteria often based on factors such as age, gender, the type and stage of a disease or condition, previous treatment history, or other medical considerations.

Aside from helping others by contributing to medical research, you get to play an active role in your own health care, gain access to new treatments before they are widely available, and obtain expert medical care during the trial.

The same ethical and legal codes that govern medical practice are federally regulated to apply to medical trials, which follow a carefully controlled protocol.

A variety of organizations or individuals may sponsor a clinical trial, including physicians, medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and foundations.

That refers to the standard by which experimental observations are evaluated. For example, one group of patients will receive an experimental drug or treatment, while the control group receives either the standard treatment for a disease or a placebo (a substance that, unbeknownst to the participant, has no treatment value).

The objective of a clinical trial can vary:

• Treatment trials that test experimental drugs, surgical techniques, or therapies
• Diagnostic trials to find better tests or procedures to diagnose a particular disease or condition
• Screening trials to test better ways to detect certain diseases or conditions
• Prevention trials that seek better ways to prevent disease
• Supportive care trials aimed at improving the quality of life for those with chronic illnesses

Phase I tests a drug or treatment for the first time in a small group of participants to evaluate its safety.

Phase II tests the effectiveness and safety of the drug or treatment among a larger group of participants (up to several hundred). This phase typically lasts from several months to two years.

In Phase III, anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand participants are given the drug or treatment to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, and compare it to commonly used treatments. This phase may last for several years.

Phase IV trials are conducted after a product has been approved for consumer use. The goal is to study the treatment’s long-term effectiveness and compare it with other drugs already on the market.