WIRB-Copernicus Group Thought Leaders Tapped for Key Roles at 2013 AAHRPP Conference

PRINCETON, N.J., April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The WIRB-Copernicus Group, the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services for human research, announced today that Jeffrey A. Cooper, MD, MMM, Vice President of Global Consulting for The WIRB-Copernicus Group and Carrie Fisher, PhD, MBA, Vice President of Process Development and Training for Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) have been invited to speak at the upcoming International Conference of The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) in Miami, Florida on April 3-5, 2013.

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"The WIRB-Copernicus Group is pleased that Dr. Cooper and Dr. Fisher have been invited to speak at the AAHRPP Conference, and we are proud to support AAHRPP in its mission to promote high-quality research and strengthen human research protection programs through accreditation," said Stuart Horowitz, PhD, MBA, President of Institutions and Institutional Services for The WIRB-Copernicus Group. "The WIRB-Copernicus Group brings more expertise to the industry than any other ethical solutions provider, and through its Consulting and Technology Divisions, is uniquely poised to support institutional clients in achieving the goal of AAHRPP accreditation."

Dr. Cooper is one of the founders of AAHRPP and was responsible for the development and operation of its accreditation process from 2002 to 2009. In his capacity within the Consulting Division of The WIRB-Copernicus Group, Dr. Cooper works with a team of former AAHRPP accreditors and site visitors, as well as current AAHRPP council members, to provide expert guidance to institutions considering AAHRPP accreditation, or undergoing the accreditation or reaccreditation process.

At the upcoming AAHRPP conference, Dr. Cooper will moderate a luncheon session entitled, "The Flexible IRB," during which he will lead the Flexibility Coalition in an informal discussion regarding overlooked opportunities for flexibility within the ethical review process. The majority of Dr. Cooper's recommendations can be accomplished without going outside of regulatory requirements, and with HHS-funded research, which represents an innovative step forward for the industry.

Dr. Cooper will be joined on the AAHRPP speaking faculty by Dr. Fisher, who oversees Process Development and Training at WIRB (a WIRB-Copernicus Group Company). Dr. Fisher will discuss the globalization of clinical trials and the increasingly common practice of inter-reliance among institutional IRBs, prompted by the growth of multisite studies and the Office of Human Research Protections' (OHRP) shift from favoring local review. During her presentation, "Reviewing Multisite Research Conducted in Other Countries," Dr. Fisher will address the scope of globalization and its contributing factors, and provide concrete recommendations for the review of international multisite research, including an outline of important considerations for the reviewing IRB.

Dr. Cooper has 25 years of experience in the field of human research subject protection and oversees consulting and outsourcing services to institutions conducting or managing human research. A medical doctor, he is an accomplished basic and clinical investigator and an experienced IRB chair and director.

Dr. Fisher is responsible for WIRB's International Fellows Program and Canadian Office, and oversees the coordination of over 100 Board Members. A psychologist by training, Dr. Fisher is an experienced IRB director and has over 25 years of experience working in academic medical centers in clinical and research settings.

The theme of this year's AAHRPP conference is "Quality Human Research Protection Programs: Evidence-Based Practice in a Global Environment." Researchers, organizational officials, HRPP professionals, IRB members and chairs, sponsors, and others interested in global standards for human research protection are invited to attend. For more information, please contact the AAHRPP organization directly, or visit http://aahrpp.org/grow.

About The WIRB-Copernicus Group
Transforming Ethical Review

The WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) is the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services for human research. With eight individual AAHRPP accredited panels, over 100 experienced board members, and over 60 years of combined experience in protocol and study-related review, The WIRB-Copernicus Group brings more expertise to the industry than any other ethical solutions provider.

Members of The WIRB-Copernicus Group family of companies include Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) and Copernicus Group IRB (CGIRB), the nation's leading independent institutional review boards, and IRBNet, the top research compliance software supporting institutions. It is the mission of The WIRB-Copernicus Group to meet the highest standards of ethics and science, and to ensure the safety and welfare of research subjects worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com.

SOURCE WIRB-Copernicus Group