The Tulane/LSU HIV/AlDS Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) will be based in a single institution, The Medical Center of Louisiana in New Orleans (MCLNO), formally known as Charity Hospital of New Orleans. The CTU represents a collaborative effort between the Tulane and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centers. Both medical centers utilize the MCLNO as their primary teaching hospital and there is a long history of collaboration between the two schools in HIV treatment and research programs based at MCLNO. The CTU is comprised of two clinical research sites (CRS), a Maternal/Child CRS and an Adult CRS. The Maternal/Child CRS represents the current Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. The Maternal/Child CRS is affiliated with the IMPAACT Network, having been selected as one of its ten highly preferred domestic sites. It will focus on the four priority areas being addressed by the IMPAACT Network: (1) Vaccine Research and Development; (2) Translational Research and Drug Development; (3) Optimization of Clinical Management, Including Co-Morbidities; and (4) Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV. The Maternal/Child CRS brings to IMPAACT a strong history of scientific contribution to the PACTG with expertise in maternal-to-child transmission, the HIV-infected adolescent and behavioral aspects of HIV. The Adult CRS consists of the former Tulane/LSU Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. It is not affiliated with a network and will focus on one priority area: Translational Research and Drug Development. The adult CRS is ideally suited to address this important priority area with access to a large inpatient and outpatient population of HIV patients, use of the Tulane/LSU General Clinical Research Center, and expertise in pharmacology, drug development, retrovirology, woman's health, and opportunistic infections including tuberculosis, hepatitis C virus, and HPV. The CTU will conduct clinical trials developed by the IMPAACT Network and an Adult Network in order to develop new and improved ways to treat and prevent HIV infection in adults and children. ? ? ADMINISTRATIVE COMPONENT: ? ? ?
