CTU Service Spotlight – Clinical Research Unit

The UVA School of Medicine Clinical Trials Unit is a multi-tier resource for the UVA research community that is optimized to reinforce UVA Health’s strategic plan goal of “expanding our excellence and enabling discoveries for better health.” In each edition of CTU Currents we will explore one of the various services offered by the CTU, and in this edition we take a look at the Clinical Research Unit.

The Clinical Research Unit was established to support clinical trial protocols that involve interventions requiring specialized nursing support and supervision. Serving as a resource for the entire UVA community, the CRU is staffed by experienced research nurses and is equipped to facilitate the conduct of most clinical trials. Services offered by the CRU range from obtaining clinical measurements, ECGs, and vascular access, to IP administration and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics testing. The CRU also houses a kitchen, and a lab equipped with centrifuges, freezers and YSI’s.

The CRU Nurse Manager, Christine Alicea, FNP-C, wants study teams to know that “the goal of the CRU is to offer UVA study teams a safe and pleasant environment in which to conduct their participant visits. Teams may just need space, or they may need more involved nursing support. Some interventions can be unnerving, and most participants appreciate nursing care in those situations. Karla So, RN, Alicia Beitzel, RN, and I (pictured above) are here to help with a protocol’s nursing aspects, with a focus on keeping participants comfortable and confident that they made the right choice to participate in a clinical trial at UVA. We are flexible and collaborative in working with our study teams, and we truly enjoy our work.”

The CRU outpatient unit is located in the UVA Collins Wing (formerly Barringer) of the West Complex (101 Hospital Drive), and offers dedicated participant parking, seven exam rooms (three with beds), and a private office. UVA’s Exercise Physiology Core Laboratory is located one floor down. Regular business hours at the Collins CRU are M-F 7am – 3pm, with after-hours capabilities.

The CRU also offers unstaffed research space at UVA’s Fontaine Research Park. This location offers eight rooms: three with exam tables, one with a bed, three interview rooms, and a phlebotomy room. Fontaine also has a dedicated lab, as well as refrigerators/freezers for temporary specimen storage.

Inquiries regarding the Clinical Research Unit should be directed to rsomcruschedule@uvahealth.org.