The Clinical Research Navigator helps guide Clinical and Translational Researchers at Tulane and LSU Health Sciences Centers and Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Megan Bronson, MPH, is our Clinical Research Navigator. Clinical and translational research faculty and trainees at the LSU and Tulane Health Sciences Centers (LSUHSC and TUHSC) and Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC) now have a partner to assist in the development of innovative, investigator-initiated clinical trials. Ms. Bronson serves as a resource for PIs from all three institutions to help enrich and facilitate the progress of clinical research protocols from conception to analysis and publication of data.
Ms. Bronson is the first point of contact for trainees and junior faculty interested in pursuing investigator-initiated clinical research. She will help guide the clinical investigator throughout the life of the study. She will meet with the PIs as they draft their study and become familiar with the needs for their protocol. Ms. Bronson will then facilitate the PI’s use of biostatistics, bioinformatics, clinical research resources, and other resources and services available at the three institutions through the established cores. In addition, she will also promote the utilization of University of Alabama’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) core resources and services, a partner program. She will also assist the PIs in negotiating the administrative and regulatory pathway in order to accelerate a protocol’s implementation. Once a study begins to accrue patients, she will help the PIs troubleshoot a variety of protocol issues, including accrual, compliance, data management, and the eventual publication of the study’s findings. Additionally, Ms. Bronson is a critical link to the established clinical and translational investigators who serve as mentors at the three institutions.
The access to navigator help will be prioritized. LA CaTS meritorious scholars, roadmap scholars and the PIs of the pilot grants program and their mentors have preferred access. Faculty can apply for clinical research navigator assistance by contacting Megan Bronson at mbronson@tulane.edu or 504-988-6998.
Remember… giving someone a fish is valuable; teaching someone how to fish is more valuable.
The above schematic illustrates the role of the clinical research navigator.
