Office for Clinical Research
The Institute for Plastic Surgery maintains its own Office for Clinical Research. This office supports the division’s efforts to conduct clinical studies and clinical trials initiated by an industry sponsor or by the division’s faculty.
Ongoing studies include the following:
Patients with Raynaud’s Syndrome Sought for SIU Clinical Trial Patients suffering with finger pain caused by Raynaud’s Syndrome are needed to participate in a clinical trial at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Institute for Plastic Surgery.
The randomized, double-blind clinical trial examines the effect of using Botox® to relieve pain by increasing blood flow. SIU is the only site in the United States participating in this study that evaluates the effectiveness and safety of Botox ® on Raynaud’s patients with ischemic digits.
Raynaud’s syndrome is a disorder that can affect the blood vessels in the fingers, toes, ears, and nose. This disorder is characterized by episodic attacks that cause ischemia (constricted blood vessels).
According to principal investigator Dr. Michael W. Neumeister, professor and chair of SIU’s Institute for Plastic Surgery, “In the hands, the limited blood flow can cause the fingers to turn cold, white and/or blue and be very painful, possibly even cause sores or ulcers to form. Our hope into the future is that we’ll find relief for these patients.”
To be eligible for the study, patients must be between the ages of 18 and 75 and be diagnosed with Raynaud’s Syndrome, including having results of an upper extremity angiogram. Participants must be willing to return to Springfield for treatment and evaluation for at least one month and follow up by phone for the remaining 5 years.
There are costs associated with participation. Participants or their insurance will be billed for standard treatment and clinic visits. Botox ® will be provided at no cost to participants. There will be no charge for follow-up visits conducted by telephone. This study is funded by The Memorial Medical Center Foundation and American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand.
If you are interested in participating in the study, email email@example.com or call Jenny at 217-545-7014 weekdays 7am-3pm.
SIU Clinical Research website
- Burn Injury
- Hand Therapy
- Nerve Damage
- Raynaud's Disease
We are Currently Recruiting Participants for:
- Comparing treatment methods for nailbed injuries.
- Using the Nintendo Wii™ for physical therapy of the hand, arm, and/or shoulder.
- Studying antimicrobials on burns in the MMC Regional Burn Center.
- Evaluating a non-invasive method to diagnose arm and hand conditions.
- Comparing surgical treatment of hand fractures to conservative treatment.
Recruiting will soon begin for:
- Using Botox injections to treat pain caused by nerve damage.
- Using a 3-D ultrasound to diagnose flexor tendon injuries.
- Completing a microsurgery curriculum for medical students and residents.
The Office for Clinical Research works closely with sponsors, investigators, and the IRB to facilitate successful conduct of clinical research and trials meeting the regulatory requirements that govern human subject research.
Facilitate, foster, and support the timely conduct of high-quality clinical research in the Institute for Plastic Surgery. Increase Clinical Trial opportunities that provide patients with access to cutting edge clinical research opportunities and treatment not widely available.
- Protocol activation and implementation.
- Research coordinator support including study start-up, enrollment, follow-up, and study closeout and record retention.
- Screening and identifying eligible patients for clinical studies.
- Facilitating enrollment of patients onto clinical trials. Scheduling appropriate tests, treatments, and assessments.
- Collecting, verifying, and recording results. Facilitating contract and budget preparation and negotiation. IRB and regulatory document preparation, submission, and continuing review.
- Investigator-initiated study development, design, and completion.
- Resident research education and guidance. Identifying funding opportunities.
- Grant writing assistance.
- Scientific paper writing assistance.
For more information please contact:
Jennifer L. Koechle, MPH,
Clinical Research Coordinator.