This proposal outlines the University of Miami's application to become a Regional Coordinating Center (RCC) in the Stroke Trials Network. The goals of the Miami RCC are to: a) provide a robust and efficient infrastructure to implement high-quality research clinical trials that address acute stroke treatment, prevention and recovery; b) leverage the internal and regional resources to enhance the Stroke Trials Network; c) train the next generation of stroke clinical and translational researchers. The Miami RCC encompasses a large network of participating acute care, rehabilitation and pediatric hospitals that span South Florida, the largest metropolitan area in the Southeast, to ensure robust enrollment of an ethnically diverse, predominantly Hispanic, population that reflects the changing demographics of the US. Our stroke program has a successful track record of participating in numerous NINDS acute and secondary prevention stroke trials, and is involved in other networks (Neuro-NEXT, SPIRP). Through our Comprehensive Stroke Center, extended referral network and multidisciplinary expertise, we will build upon the close partnership with pre-hospital Emergency Services, Emergency Medicine, Vascular Neurosurgery, Interventional Neurology, Neuro-Critical Care, Pediatric Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, as well as on academic-private institutional collaborations, to enroll and manage potential study participants. We also have unique resources that we can bring to the network. Integrated collaboration among cutting edge researchers in the areas of preclinical stroke, stem cells, human genomics, biorepository, brain bank, and the Miami CTSI make us uniquely positioned to develop, propose and implement novel translational early phase projects. The large residency and fellowship training programs in Neurology, the multidisciplinary educational resources in the institution, and our track record of instructing clinical researchers position our center to effectively train stroke researchers in clinical and translational research through a structured mentored program. Therefore, we have the depth and breadth of expertise and resources to successfully function as a RCC in the Stroke Trials Network.
The Miami Regional Coordinating Center encompasses a wide regional network of experienced investigators and hospitals across South Florida that will enroll an ethnically diverse predominantly Hispanic population into stroke trials. It will provide access to unique research resources in the areas of preclinical stroke, stem cells, human genomics, and bio-repositories that can be leveraged across the network. Through its educational and research opportunities we will train the next generation of stroke clinician scientists.
