Tulane Research - Clinical Translational Unit

Roberta H McDuffie
ACNS-BC, BSBA, CDE
Director of Clinical Research /CTU

The Tulane Clinical Transitional Unit (CTU) provides a broad range of services to offer clinical trial coordination and assist in the initiation and conduct of research

The mission of the Tulane Clinical Transitional Unit, translation of research from bench science to community health, provides insight into our perspective of the relationships that exist between all internal and external determinants and actual health outcomes. Our goal is to reduce the time required to facilitate the journey of science from the laboratory to community health centers.

The Tulane Clinical Transitional Unit (CTU) is one element of Tulane's participation in the LA CaTS NIH collaborative project grant. The facility includes seven individual treatment areas, a laboratory, administrative and monitoring areas, and a large waiting room for subjects. State of the art equipment aids in the completion of many of the protocol-required subject assessments. The CTU offers facilities for physical exams, multiple procedures, private interviews, laboratory testing, multiple diagnostic tests and most types of data collection. We can assist with arrangements for in-patient beds for studies that may require hospitalization. We are currently supporting protocols in epidemiology, genetics, general medicine, pediatrics, behavioral sciences, cancer, cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, and renal disease, as well as protocols related to other areas of research, such as bioengineering. The CTU is located at 1440 Canal Street, in the heart of New Orleans. Easy access to parking and both bus and streetcar routes at the front door make this location ideal for subject and provider visits. In addition to providing an excellent environment for the investigators to perform resources for informatics, biostatistics, research design as well as clinical trials support. research training and development programs are included in the giant-funded program as well. The CTU aims to facilitate cross-disciplinary, bi-directional research from the laboratory to the clinic. Providing the core resources so important to researchers, the CTU facilitates clinical and translational research activities at Tulane University. The CTU also offers assistance with ClinicalTrials.gov to Medicine Faculty. Our large NIH research study, All of US, includes a mobile facility for ease in enrolling the underserved population in New Orleans and the surrounding community.