Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital Announces Neurological Clinical Research Institute

26/Nov/2012

Massachusetts General Hospital Announces Neurological Clinical Research Institute

Boston, MA—The Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital is pleased to announce that the Neurology Clinical Trials Unit has changed its name to the Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI).   This name change reflects the organization’s development as a recognized global leader in neurological clinical research, and its evolving scope and new strategic goals.

Founded by Drs. Merit Cudkowicz and Steven Greenberg in 1994, the NCRI has expertise in therapy development and an extensive history in leading clinical research to find new treatments for neurological diseases.  Our investigators are recognized global leaders in neurotherapeutics.  The continued success of the NCRI and the Mass General Neurology Department relies on a deep commitment to collaboration and cross-departmental, cross-institutional, industry, and government agency partnerships.  By fostering and empowering these scientific collaborations, the NCRI’s mission is to accelerate translational research in neurological disorders through initiating and testing novel therapies by custom-designing research protocols, by bringing efficacy strategies and infrastructure to clinical research, and implementing observational and interventional trials.

 “These are exciting times for the field of neurology,” says Dr. Cudkowicz, Mass General’s chief of neurology and NCRI co-founder.  “The neurosciences are on the brink of tremendous breakthroughs and unprecedented opportunities in understanding and treating neurological disorders. We are so close to developing treatments for hundreds of diseases. We’re finding new ways to deliver therapies and change clinical practice.”

The NCRI will continue to serve as the Coordinating Center for the NEALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) consortium (www.alsconsortium.org), which translates scientific advances into clinical research and new treatments for ALS and other rare motor neuron diseases.  NEALS is an international nonprofit research consortium that brings together more than 500 scientists, clinicians and nurses at more than 100 trial sites in North America, Ireland and Israel. NEALS is committed to the cooperative implementation, timely completion, analysis and reporting of clinical trials and research studies aimed at improving patient care and understanding of the disease process.

The NCRI also acts as the Clinical Coordinating Center for the Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT, www.neuronext.org). NeuroNEXT is an innovative National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's (NINDS)-supported phase II clinical trials network, providing efficient, standardized, and accessible infrastructure to facilitate rapid development and implementation of protocols in neurological diseases affecting adult and/or pediatric populations through partnerships with academia, private foundations and industry.

Contact:
Devon Punch
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
dpunch@partners.org
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