Spotlight: Recent IDCRC Site Visits

IDCRC site visits at NYU and CCHMC — L image (pictured L to R): Robert Frenck, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center VTEU PI; Robert Atmar, MD, IDCRC COU co-director, Expert Working Groups liaison; Michelle Dickey, MS, FNP-BC, PNP-BC, CCRC, Clinical Research Site director, Gamble Center for Vaccine Research, Cincinnati Children's VTEU; Kathy Neuzil, MD, IDCRC PI, Leadership Group co-chair; Mary Allen Staat, MD, MPH, director, International Adoption Center; David Stephens, IDCRC contact PI, Leadership Group chair | R image: NYU Grossman School of Medicine Vaccine Center clinic space

Annually, the IDCRC leadership team visits Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEU) across the country to allow the opportunity to collaborate and network with one another. On February 8, 2023, David Stephens, MD, Kathy Neuzil, MD, and Robert Atmar, MD conducted a visit to New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, and then to Gamble Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) on March 30, 2023.

These visits were particularly exciting after more than three years of meeting virtually due to COVID-19. During these visits, leadership had the opportunity to discuss each VTEU’s research initiatives and programs, tour their facilities, and most importantly meet with their researchers, faculty, trainees, and staff in-person – exchanging ideas and fostering conversation.

Thank you again to NYU and CCHMC for hosting the IDCRC Leadership Group members. We look forward to future opportunities to collaborate in-person.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine VTEU Site Visit

The NYU VTEU was established in April 2020, when New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic. Since then, four IDCRC-supported studies – COVAIL Trial, Mix and Match, MOMI-Vax, and AstraZeneca Study of AZD122 – have been conducted under the VTEU.

“It was great to visit the NYU VTEU and meet their team. Dr. Mark Mulligan has put together a great group of investigators, and I was impressed with the resources they have available to conduct clinical research. They are performing interesting research and I look forward to working with them in the future,” says Atmar, IDCRC Clinical Operations Unit (COU) co-director and Expert Working Group liaison.

In February 2023, IDCRC leaders conducted their first in-person VTEU site visit at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine Vaccine Center. This visit provided the NYU team with the opportunity to highlight their distinct strengths – their junior investigators, dedicated staff, research lab, biorepository, clinic facilities, and diverse participant population. This visit was important for the team to build a better understanding of IDCRC’s future directions and see where the site fits in the overall IDCRC vision of the VTEU.

“As our site was established three years ago, early in the pandemic, our NYU VTEU team was thrilled to finally host IDCRC leadership and showcase our accomplishments this year. Our commitment to excellence, the diversity of our participant population, the dedication of our team, and our exciting research were recognized. The visit of the IDCRC leadership invigorated our NYU team and made us more eager to participate in new exciting IDCRC studies,” says Marie Samanovic-Golden, PhD, NYU Vaccine Center program director and research assistant professor.

IDCRC leadership would like to thank the NYU VTEU team for hosting our leaders and we look forward to future opportunities to collaborate in-person and foster scientific exchange.

The Gamble Vaccine Research Center at CCHMC Site Visit

The Gamble Vaccine Research Center at CCHMC has supported clinical trials and studies on respiratory infections, enteric diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and neglected tropical diseases, for more than two decades. The center provides exceptional leadership on their multi-center studies and has been a vital partner to the other VTEUs – supporting their studies and initiatives.

“The CCHMC team recently had the pleasure of introducing Drs. Stephens, Neuzil, and Atmar to our research facilities. After three years of virtual visits, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet in-person with the IDCRC leadership team. Our entire team was appreciative of the time the leadership team spent with us and having the opportunity to show our visitors our state-of-the-art research facilities including our 20-bed inpatient facility,” says Robert Frenck, MD, Gamble Vaccine Research Center PI.

In March 2023, Robert Frenck, MD and Michelle Dickey, APRN, CFNP, CPNP, CCRC graciously hosted the IDCRC leadership for a two-day site visit to review the VTEU’s research program, see a tour of their exceptional facilities, and network in-person with the vaccine research faculty, staff, and trainees, after many years of virtual visits.

“I enjoyed visiting the CCHMC VTEU and meeting with them. I was particularly impressed with, and a bit jealous of, their incredible clinical facilities. It was also interesting to hear about their transition to electronic data collection and storage — I think they will be able to provide the IDCRC with a lot of ‘lessons learned’ as other sites transition to paperless documentation,” says Atmar.

“I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Robert Frenck and Michelle Dickey for the great visit and warm hospitality. In-person, visits are worth a million words. I would also like to thank the team for their time and enthusiasm, as well as the trainees for the engaging conversation – they are our future. I remain blown away by the splendor of the challenge facility,” says Stephens.

Thank you to the CCHMC VTEU for hosting our IDCRC leaders. We look forward to witnessing and aiding future scientific innovation and exploration with our VTEU partners.