Research & Education
Learn about medical research at Mount Auburn Hospital, where clinical trials are leading to innovative treatments.
Research
At the forefront of life-changing medical discoveries
Medical Research that Advances Care, Improves Outcomes
Research is the driving force behind groundbreaking medical breakthroughs, cutting-edge treatments and life-changing therapies. That’s why Mount Auburn Hospital provides support to physicians who participate in clinical trials and other research endeavors. Our researchers are passionate about making a difference in patients’ lives through scientific discovery.
Clinical Studies at Mount Auburn Hospital
Clinical studies at Mount Auburn Hospital are advancing care for patients with clinical problems locally and around the globe. Participation is clinical research studies is an opportunity for patients to be part of the larger research community and may offer them access to novel therapies long before such therapies become widely available.
Support from the Institutional Review Board
BIDMC is home to our International Review Board (IRB). The IRB has the responsibility and authority to approve, require modification (in order to secure approval), or disapprove all research activities covered by this Policy regardless of the source of the funding of the research. In order to approve research governed by this Policy, the IRB must review the full proposal, the consent form and all supplemental information such as, but not limited to the Investigator’s or Sponsor’s brochure and recruiting information.
The Committee on Clinical Investigations or CCI at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is the IRB for Mount Auburn Hospital. The CCI Chair is Alan Lisbon, MD. The Director of IRB Operations for the CCI is Andrea Collins, MHA, CIP. The protocol coordinator for MAH is Cara Crasco.
For any questions and to request access to the CCI portal and submission forms, email Cara Crasco.
Types of Research:
There are three categories of research done at Mount Auburn Hospital, all of which must turn in an application for research with IRB. Those three types are: Full Board Review, Expedited Research, and Exempt Research.
What is an investigator?
The term “investigator” is defined as an individual performing various tasks related to the conduct of human subjects research activities, such as obtaining informed consent from subjects, interacting with subjects, and communicating with the IRB. For the purposes of the HHS regulations, OHRP interprets an “investigator” to be any individual who is involved in conducting human subject research studies. Such involvement would include:
- Obtaining information about living individuals by intervening or interacting with them for research purposes;
- Obtaining identifiable private information about living individuals for research purposes;
- Obtaining the voluntary informed consent of individuals to be subjects in research; and
- Studying, interpreting, or analyzing identifiable private information or data for research purposes.
Investigators can include physicians, scientists, nurses, administrative staff with the appropriate background and training to conduct the research required for each study. Some research studies are conducted by more than one investigator, and usually one investigator is designated the “principal investigator” with overall responsibilities for the study. In every human subjects research study, investigators have certain responsibilities regarding the ethical treatment of human subjects.
Mount Auburn Hospital is committed to conducting human subject research within all OHRP and FDA regulations and ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki and the Belmont Report.
Human Subjects Protection Office at BIDMC
HSPO Help Line: 617-975-8500
The help line is a mechanism to allow study participants, research staff, and staff to share questions and/or concerns about any aspect of clinical research. Callers are encouraged to leave a detailed voicemail message. The HSPO staff will call you back within one business day.
Research Opportunities for Medical Students and Residents
Mount Auburn Hospital offers medical students and resident physicians opportunities to participate in research studies. This allows trainees to contribute to the scientific discovery process and develop their skills as investigators as they prepare for careers in medicine.
