Clinical Research Center (CRC) Services

Nursing

Studies conducted in the ITS-CRC are facilitated by a team of highly motivated, trained and experienced research nurses. The unit consists of five research nurses. We have three nurses certified as clinical research professionals through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) and all nurses certified in Moderate Sedation and ACLS.

Bionutrition

 

The Clinical Research Center’s bionutrition unit includes a metabolic kitchen that offers expertise and resources to study various diets and specific nutrients in a unique, controlled environment.

The staff consists of a research dietitian, a dietary research supervisor and research diet technicians. The dietary staff is experienced in preparing fixed-composition diets. The research dietitian designs diets and menus to meet specifications of various research protocols. The research staff is also trained in the use of comprehensive nutritional analysis software to plan precise diets and analyze the nutrient intake of subjects.

All diets, menus and food records are analyzed utilizing the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR), the premier software application for dietary analysis of 24-hour dietary recalls and 3-day food intake records. It provides detailed information on numerous nutrient values and ratios, including calories, macronutrients, trace minerals, individual amino acids, and fatty acid content of foods.

 

Core Laboratory

The ITS-CRC Core Laboratory primarily provides technical support to Principal Investigators. In addition to the standard laboratory equipment, the Core Laboratory is also equipped with a BioRad multiplex platform, three glucose/L-lactate analyzers and a spectrophotometer. Among the services extended to Principal Investigators are sample de-identification, sample processing, cytokine assays, DNA extractions, freezer storage, DXA scans, and shipping of biological materials as specified by regulation. The Core Laboratory currently houses four -80°C freezers, one -20°C freezer, and one 4°C refrigerator. All freezers are equipped with AccSense, a 24-hour temperature monitoring service that reports any deviations in temperatures. The Core Laboratory, in conjunction with ITS-IS, has implemented the use of Open Specimen as a freezer inventory system.