Indiana University Medical Center has been an active member of the Neonatal Research Network since 1991. Particular strengths of the Indiana Center include a large patient population, design of new randomized trials for the Network, effective enrollment of subjects in Network protocols, eighteen neonatology faculty with extensive experience and expertise in basic and clinical research, an established newborn follow-up program, excellent infrastructure and support staff, and important collaborative research programs with other departments and university centers. Since 1995 (starting year of the second competitive renewal of the Network grant) the faculty within the Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine has had 20 NIH grants and 49 other extramural awards, and has published over 200 manuscripts during that period. Indiana University School of Medicine is the only medical school and the site of the only comprehensive children's hospital in Indiana. The Medical Center serves as the principal referral center for pediatric subspecialty care for the entire state, which has a population of 5.9 million and 87,000 births annually. Further, the Indiana Center expanded in 1997 when Methodist Hospital (a large community hospital with a high risk obstetric service and NICU) merged with the Medical Center. Indiana has a strong record of participation in and contribution to the Neonatal Research Network. During the past four years Indiana enrolled an average of 334 VLBW infants yearly in the generic data base, and 390 infants in 1999 (the largest of any center). Indiana has participated in 12 trials since 1995, contributing 34/235 subjects to the Neonatal Inhaled Nitric Oxide Study 45/170 and 24/115 infants to the two Erythropoietin trials, 3/16 infants to date in the Hypothermia and Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy study, and 65 of 300 to date in the Glutamine Trial. Indiana faculty chaired and developed the Newborn Follow-up Program, the Glutamine Trial, the Magnesium Sulfate Subcommittee and the Protocol Review Subcommittee, chaired the GDB Subcommittee, and served on nine other subcommittees. The clinical and basic research of the neonatology faculty is focused on molecular immunology, developmental hematopoiesis, and fetal/neonatal nutrition and metabolism. These research programs lend themselves to ancillary studies of the Neonatal Network; one currently active and six other ancillary studies were designed and initiated by Indiana faculty. Collaborative support has been provided by other investigators, departments and centers when additional expertise and/or resources could benefit Network protocols. Indiana University brings to the Neonatal Network a large patient population, a uniquely balanced program of clinical service and research, and a strong record of participation and accomplishment.
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