CLINICAL RESEARCH CORE

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The Clinical Research Core (CRC - Resource Core 1) of the Wake Forest University Older Americans Independence Center (WFU OAIC) provides the critical infrastructure and investigator resources essential to the successful conduct of clinical research focusing on physical function and disability in older adults. The CRC is well-integrated with the other OAIC Resource Cores (Biolmaging, Molecular Sciences, and the Biostatistics and Data Management Cores). With them, the CRC will support NIH-funded independent studies, OAlC-funded pilot and Research Career Development Studies, and other externally-funded projects related to the WFU OAIC research theme: Integrating pathways affecting physical function for new approaches to disability prevention. A high priority for the CRC will be to support clinical trials translating basic research discoveries into human population studies; clinical research targeting sarcopenia and adiposity-related decline in physical function and disability in older adults; and trials of novel interventions related to these risk factors. The CRC will also assfst the Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC), the Pilot and Exploratory Studies Core (PESC), and the Research Career Development Core (RCDC) in identifying promising new and established investigators and programs positioned to help to address the mechanisms and prevention of physical disability. The CRC will provide 'turn-key' resources critical for successful clinical research studies, including: 1) expertise related to experimental study design and conduct, including selection of appropriate outcome measures; 2) highly efficient and effective participant recruitment, including women and minorities; 3) a standardized physical function assessment battery; 4) procurement, storage, and analysis (with the Molecular Sciences Core) of muscle and adipose tissue and blood samples; 5) maintenance (in concert with the Biostatistics Core) of a uniform outcomes database; 6) assisting junior investigators with IRB and other regulatory filings (in concert with the PESC and RCDC). In the present cycle, provision of these key resources has been integral to our timely completion of clinical studies, publication of results, competition for new independently-funded grant awards, and development of new investigators. The CRC leadership team is highly experienced in clinical trial design and implementation, research focused on physical function in older adults, and successful mentoring for junior investigators. In the first year of funding, the Core will support 9 studies: five investigator-initiated clinical trials, an observational study, a pilot study, a research development project, and a research career development award.