WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) Thought Leaders Tapped for Key Roles at Annual Conference on Research Ethics

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG), the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services and software to support clinical research, announced today that 10 of its experts will serve leadership roles at the industry's leading conference on research ethics: Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) Advancing Ethical Research (AER) Annual Conference. This year's conference, entitled "Forty Years of Human Research Protections – Reflecting the Past, Shaping the Future," will be held in Baltimore, MD from Dec. 5-7.

Eight of WCG's thought leaders will partner with representatives from the country's leading research institutions to deliver 13 educational sessions on strategic and practical topics related to the ethical design, review and conduct of clinical research. WCG's presentation partners include distinguished representatives from the United States Office of Human Research Protections, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and its School of Public Health, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Human Research Protection Office. Furthermore, two WCG staff members will participate in the conference as Affinity Group Facilitators, serving as event moderators.

"We are delighted to contribute to the Advancing Ethical Research conference in such a meaningful way," said WCG Chairman and CEO Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D. "Knowledge is the most important asset one can possess. As the oldest and most experienced provider of ethical review services, WCG is proud to support the clinical research industry – and organizations like PRIM&R – in sharing our knowledge and helping to drive continuous improvement through education."

WCG's contributions to PRIM&R AER sessions are outlined below:

Presentations
Dec. 4, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

• Pre-conference Workshop: Fundamentals of Clinical Research and Study Design – Chief Medical Officer and President of Consulting Services Lindsay McNair, MD, MPH, MSB

Dec. 5, 2:45-4 p.m.

• You'll Know it When You See It: Defining 'Human Subjects Research' – Chief Compliance Officer David G. Forster, JD, MA, CIP
• Aligning IRB Review with Community Cultural Ethics and Standards – Vice President of Quality Management for the Copernicus Group IRB David Borasky

Dec. 6, 11:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m.

• IRB Chairs Forum: A Structured Discussion for Experienced IRB Chairs – Chair of the Copernicus Group IRB Glenn C. Veit, JD, CIP

Dec. 6, 3-4:15 p.m.

• The Role of Study Partners in Dementia Research and Its Implications for IRBs – Senior Consultant Yvonne Higgins, MS, CIP
• Unanticipated Problems and Adverse Events: A Practical Approach for IRBs – Vice President of Global Consulting Jeffrey A. Cooper, MD, MMM
• Aligning Institutions and Research Sponsors for the Efficient Conduct of Clinical Trials – President of Institutions and Institutional Services Stuart Horowitz, PhD, MBA and Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Nicholas Slack, MBE

Dec. 7, 9:30-10:45 a.m.

• A Dialog with SACHRP – David Borasky and David G. Forster
• Institutional IRB Performance Benchmarking Metrics – Drs. Jeffrey A. Cooper and Stuart Horowitz
• Scientific Aspects of Clinical Study Design: A Primer for Non-scientists – Dr. Lindsay McNair
• "Lean" Thinking for IRB Process Improvement – Yvonne Higgins

Dec. 7, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Is Facebook Hurting Your Study? Ethical and Study Integrity Concerns when Participants Use Social Media – Dr. Lindsay McNair
• IRB Management: Innovative Ways to Foster Accountability and Integrity – Yvonne Higgins

Posters

• Designing and Implementing a Quality Management System – Chief Operating Officer for Copernicus IRB and WCG Dawn Pope, CIP
• Improving IRB Processes Through Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen Events: A Case Study – Process Improvement Specialist Copernicus Group IRB Michael Willis, CIP and Director of Continuous Improvement, Copernicus Group IRB Sherry Seabock

Affinity Group Facilitators

• For IRB Chairs – Vice Chair of the Board Copernicus IRB Patience Stevens, MD, MPH, CIP
• For Non-scientist IRB Members – Manager of Consulting Services and a licensed attorney Troy M. Brinkman, JD, MA, CIP           

About WIRB-Copernicus Group
WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) is the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical solutions for clinical research. The company provides Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews, and Human Research Protection (HRP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Biosafety consulting services. Its technology offerings include IRB workflow management solutions (IRBNet), clinical trial management software for sponsors and contract research organizations (ePharmaSolutions), and Part-11 compliant online learning solutions for research professionals (WCG Academy).

The pioneer of independent ethical oversight, WCG continues to drive progress in the clinical research space. WCG empowers clients to accelerate life-saving advancements, while ensuring that the risks of progress never outweigh the value of human life.

For more information, please visit www.wcgclinical.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical.

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