OFFICE OF RESEARCH
‘Improved health’
Human Subjects Office paves way for clinical research By James Hataway jhataway@uga.edu
As UGA continues to invest in research focused on improving human health, the Human Subjects Office is working to become more effective at protecting subjects while also boosting efficiency. Housed in the university’s Office of Research, the HSO performs professional and administrative functions in support of the Institutional Review Board, the faculty-led research oversight committee charged with ensuring that research involving human subjects is conducted in compliance with federal, state and institutional policies and procedures. “UGA’s research portfolio is poised to expand rapidly in the area of clinical and translational research,” said Christopher King, associate vice president for research and director of the Office of Research Compliance. “Our researchers have excelled at basic biomedical research, but there is a real need, both locally and nationally, to translate these basic discoveries into improved health for people. “The collaborative relationships we are developing with the Augusta University/ UGA Medical Partnership, and Piedmont Athens Regional and Saint Mary’s hospitals, as well as local medical practices, will increase UGA’s capacity to conduct research that addresses pressing health issues,” King said. With these new partnerships in mind, the HSO recently began a quality improvement review to strengthen the university’s Human Research Protection Program. “We want to do everything we can to ensure that our human subjects are protected while also avoiding bottlenecks
Dorothy Kozlowski
Human Subjects Office staff, from left, Brooke Harwell, Angela Bain, Kim Fowler and Mysti Scheuer assist researchers working on improving human health.
in the administrative process,” said Kimberly Fowler, interim director of the HSO. Process improvements and investigator education and training are major thrusts of quality improvement, she explained. In years past, it was customary for all research proposals involving human subjects to receive the same review even when not required by regulation. Now, following the implementation of new risk-based policies and procedures, the HSO will evaluate each proposal on a case-by-case basis, only involving the IRB when required by regulation. “For example, there were 843 submissions to the Human Subjects Office between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31 of 2016. All of these were reviewed by the Human Subjects Office, but only 184 proposals required IRB review,” Fowler said. Not only does this new
review process help speed the approval of new proposals, but it also allows the IRB to focus resources on the growing number of clinical research projects. In the last three years, the number of clinical studies increased nearly 160 percent, from 27 studies in 2014 to 70 studies in 2016. The IRB also has grown from 15 members to 51, with several new board members specializing in clinical research. This increase in the number of board members also has allowed the IRB to review applications more frequently, holding two meetings per month rather than just one. Those meetings are split between two major working groups, a social and behavioral board and a clinical board. Fowler and other HSO staff also hold workshops with faculty, staff and students to help them better understand the human subjects policies
WEEKLY READER
and procedures, and they encourage members of the university to reach out if they would like HSO staff to visit a lab or classroom. These improvements to HSO procedures are part of an effort to achieve accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, an independent nonprofit organization that evaluates research organizations to ensure that their HRPPs meet standards for quality and protection. “The protection of human subjects is paramount, and we are working toward this accreditation to ensure that we put in place a review process that is as efficient as it is rigorous,” Fowler said. For more information about the HSO or to speak with someone in the office, visit research.uga.edu/hso.
columns.uga.edu Feb. 13, 2017
RANKINGS
from page 1 and her software salesman husband after selling chicken salad at PTA meetings. The remainder of the Bulldog 100 top 10 was as follows: 2. Kabbage Inc., Atlanta 3. The Holly Purcell Group, Athens 4. Charlotte Lucas Interior Design, Charlotte, North Carolina 5. SMD LLC, Huntersville, North Carolina 6. Two Maids & A Mop, Birmingham, Alabama 7. Specialized Veterinary Services, Fort Myers, Florida 8. Lake Country Pharmacy & Compounding Center, Greensboro, Georgia 9. Cruise Planners, Decatur 10. Rev Coffee Roasters, Smyrna The Atlanta office of Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors partnered with the UGA Alumni Association to review nominated businesses’ financial records to determine the ranked list. Nominations for the 2017 Bulldog 100 were accepted between February and May 2016. To be considered for the list, each organization must have been in business for at least five years, experienced revenues in excess of $100,000 for the calendar year 2013 and be owned or operated by a former UGA student who either owns at least 50 percent of the company or is the CEO, president or managing partner. The Bulldog 100 recognizes the fastestgrowing businesses regardless of size by focusing on a three-year compounded annual growth rate. Approximately 490 nominations were received for the 2017 Bulldog 100. The class includes companies of all sizes, providing services and products in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, law, IT, consulting, retail and pest control. Companies as far west as California and as far northeast as New York made the list this year.The average compounded annual growth rate for this year’s Bulldog 100 businesses was 44 percent. The 100 businesses and the 131 alumni who lead them were recognized by the UGA Alumni Association during the Feb. 4 event. The evening began with an exclusive reception for honorees hosted by FirstData, a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and solutions. This year’s keynote speaker was Debbie Storey, retired executive vice president of AT&T Mobility Customer Service and author of the book Don’t Downsize Your Dreams. Storey spoke about the importance of strong leadership development for success in business. “The UGA Alumni Association is excited to honor our graduates who are founding and leading these prosperous enterprises,” said Ruth Bartlett, president of the UGA Alumni Association. “It is inspiring to see the influence these businesses have on our students. Student participation in Bulldog 100 allows our scholars a unique opportunity to network with these accomplished business leaders and also to observe the best examples of success from people who once were where they are now.” To view the complete list of 2017 Bulldog 100 businesses or nominate a business for the 2018 Bulldog 100, see www.alumni.uga.edu/b100. Nominations are being accepted through May 31.
CYBERSIGHTS
ABOUT COLUMNS
Book analyzes digital poetry collection
Poesía y poeticas digitales/ electronicas/tecnos/newmedia en America Latina Edited by Luis Correa-Diaz and Scott Weintraub Ediciones Universidad Central Open-access e-book
Luis Correa-Diaz, a professor of Spanish in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Scott Weintraub, an assistant professor of Spanish at the University of New Hampshire, are co-editors of Poesia y poeticas digitales/electronicas/tecnos/ new-media en America Latina: definiciones y exploraciones. Translated as Digital Poetry and Poetics—Electronic—Techno—New Media in Latin America, the book contains 20 essays that analyze new media poetics in the U.S. and several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru. The book follows a recently published “sampling” of digital poetry in the Chilean poetry journal Aerea: revista hispanoamericana de poesia, edited by Correa-Diaz. It can be purchased as a Kindle book through Amazon. Published by Ediciones Universidad Central, the book is available as an openaccess e-book, with distribution through a Creative Commons 2.5 license.
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Editor Juliett Dinkins
CAES website undergoes redesign
caes.uga.edu
The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences launched a revamped version of its website in late fall of 2016. Last redesigned in 2005, the website now features information and news about the college’s academic, research and Extension endeavors in a mobile friendly environment. CAES’s web design team
dramatically increased the number of photos and visual elements on the site. These visuals will be updated regularly to encourage visitors to spend more time exploring and learning about the college’s students, research priorities and statewide impact. The redesign also introduces a new college calendar and updated news section.
Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Senior Writer Aaron Hale Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia.