We propose to create the Boston NETT Site, a team of hospitals and EMS agencies in Boston that will serve as a top-enrolling site and vibrant contributor to the NETT Network. Our group includes all adult Level I trauma centers in the city of Boston. All hospitals have a proven track record of successful management and performance of clinical trials. In particular, all hospitals have an established research infrastructure that performs ongoing clinical research in both emergency and neurology departments, which can be leveraged to meet the needs of NETT. Principal investigator Joshua N. Goldstein, MD, PhD, and Co-investigator Jonathan Rosand, MD, MS bring a complementary set of skills in managing successful clinical research programs, membership on Steering Committees, and positions of national leadership in their fields. Our team includes investigators in neurology and emergency medicine with nationally recognized expertise managing the difficult task of enrolling patients in the emergency setting. Strengths of the Boston NETT Group include 1) the close personal and professional ties between multiple investigators, as shown by a history of successful collaborative research projects; 2) a large population from a major metropolitan area that spans the full range of neurologic disorders; 3) talented teams of site Investigators with track records of scientific achievement and innovation, as well as subject recruitment and data management in multicenter trials; 4) an existing research infrastructure, funded by a range of sources including NINDS, which can be leveraged to meet the needs of NETT; 5) numerous existing clinical research programs including the Neurology Clinical Trials Unit, The Harvard Catalyst Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, the BU Clinical and Translational Science (CTSA) Institute, the Specialized Programs of Translational Research in Acute Stroke (SPOTRIAS) Network, the NeuroNEXT Network, and the NeuroNEXT Clinical Coordinating Center; 6) close integration with pre-hospital services, including Boston EMS and Boston Medflight. Overall, the Boston NETT Group has the resources, vision, and enthusiasm to enhance the ongoing success of the NETT Network.
The Boston NETT Site will be comprised of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston Medical Center (BMC), and Children's Hospital Boston (CHB), all organizations with internationally recognized patient care and clinical research programs.
