Stanford Center for Clinical Research
A Nexus for Team Science
August 16, 2024
Team science and collaborative research are increasingly required to generate evidence that advances clinical care. The design and conduct of these large studies with numerous collaborators can present significant challenges. The Stanford Center for Clinical Research (SCCR) offers the expertise and infrastructure necessary to successfully launch and coordinate research that brings together a diverse group of physicians, scientists, research staff, and health care professionals. Through partnership with internal and external collaborators, SCCR provides operational support for site-based clinical research and clinical coordination of multi-center studies.
“I fundamentally believe that team science is critical to answer important complex clinical questions. The synergies of collaboration by physicians from diverse therapeutic areas, data scientists, and operation teams create the foundation for rigorous study design, innovative operations, and data quality,” said Kenneth Mahaffey, MD, professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of SCCR.
An exemplary team science project at SCCR is the Cellular Immune Tolerance Research Program (CIT). CIT unites faculty from BMT, radiation oncology, endocrinology, abdominal transplant, rheumatology, nephrology, and neurology. Their shared mission is to develop innovative cellular immune therapy treatments for patients with autoimmune diseases and those undergoing transplantation. CIT is a coordinated effort to assist investigators across Stanford Medicine with operational and compliance support while also serving as a knowledge-integration hub.
SCCR is at the forefront of the REACT-AF study, a multi-center trial comparing standard anticoagulation in individuals with AFib to targeted intermittent anticoagulation guided by an AF-sensing smartwatch. SCCR leads the clinical coordinating center for this nation-wide, 100-site study. The REACT-AF trial represents the quintessence of academic and inter-institutional collaboration, bringing together faculty from Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, University of California, San Francisco, and Northwestern University.
A key strength of SCCR is the breadth of its clinical and operational teams that closely collaborate with faculty. Their expertise spans project management, site management, education and training, quality, compliance, finance and administration.
Additionally, division leaders, research coordinators, clinical and non-clinical managers, nurses, and social workers all work together through SCCR to ensure participant safety and the seamless integration of research into clinical throughput. In addition, SCCR works with institution-wide groups such as Stanford Research Management Group, Stanford Privacy Office, and the data science teams such as the Quantitative Science Unit and the Stanford Center for Innovative Design to ensure an efficient study startup process.
SCCR engages with a wide range of partners to meet a diverse set of clinical research needs. Whether it is executing a trial, partnering in new ventures, training internal and external teams, or by monitoring trials, SCCR is committed to collaborating to meet clinical research needs. Visit their newly launched website to learn how your team can partner with SCCR.
Kenneth Mahaffey, MD, SCCR Director
"Team science is critical to answer important complex clinical questions. The collaboration of diverse physicians creates the foundation for rigorous study design."
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