Hospital-based Research Center Management Achieves IRB Certification

Friday, February 02, 2007

Flushing, New York - New York Hospital Queens today announced that The Theresa and Eugene M. Lang Center for Research and Education reached another milestone in its emergence as a premier clinical research source for community physicians and patients, with the certification of Karen Hultberg, its Administrative Director, as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) professional, by the Council for Certification of IRB Professionals (CCIP).

In a clinical research setting, an IRB ensures the protection of the rights, safety and well being of human subjects involved in a clinical trial. It is an independent body constituted of members from medical, scientific and non-scientific backgrounds.

"We are the only hospital in Queens with an certified professional managing our IRB, and Ms. Hultberg's accreditation enhances our capacity to provide relevant, high quality research both to our local community as well as the research community," said Phyllis August, MD, M.P.H., Director, the Lang Center for Research and Education.

The Lang Center for Research and Education, established in 2001 at New York Hospital Queens, is currently participating in more than 100 clinical protocols. The Center facilitates research that enables patients to gain access to new treatments, and allows area physicians to bring cutting edge medicine to their patients, right here in Queens. Additionally, the Lang Research Center recently joined TrialNet, an international network of clinical centers focused on research and intervention for children and adults with Type 1 Diabetes.