Philadelphia Regional Stroke Trials Network Coordinating Center (PRSTNCC)

ABSTRACT The Philadelphia Regional Stroke Trials Network Coordinating Center (PRSTNCC) is a highly effective collaborative stroke research team comprised of adult and pediatric vascular neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, emergency physicians, rehabilitation specialists, and other experts who conduct clinical trials focused on stroke treatment, prevention, and recovery. The PRSTNCC is based at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), an urban, tertiary care, academic medical center in Philadelphia, PA, which serves as the "Hub" of the consortium, and has joined forces with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and 13 additional member hospitals ("Spokes") located in geographically and ethnically diverse areas in and around Philadelphia. The PRSTNCC thereby unites comprehensive stroke centers, primary stroke centers, and a regional pediatric center, providing access to a broad and diverse population of patients with stroke to a multidisciplinary group of clinicians and researchers. The overarching goal of the PRSTNCC is to reduce the burden of stroke among patients of all ages and backgrounds within this region by conducting interdisciplinary trials of promising clinical interventions for stroke treatment, prevention, and recovery. The multi-disciplinary PRSTNCC leadership team, led by Multiple Principal Investigators (MPIs) Scott Kastner, MD, and Brett Cucchiara, MD, has extensive experience conducting multicenter stroke clinical trials, and has been a major contributor to the current NIH Stroke Net. The PRSTNCC infrastructure supports efficient and effective conduct of stroke trials among the participant hospitals. Research support and expertise are provided by the Hub, particularly in the areas of human subjects protections and other regulatory activities, and education and orientation of clinical and research staff in an effort to streamline trial implementation and expedite patient enrollment. The Hub provides ongoing support for data collection and transfer during trial execution, and provides timely feedback and education about trial results to member specialists and hospitals to encourage translation of research results into clinical practice. In addition, we are training a new generation of stroke researchers and coordinators in the conduct and design of clinical trials by providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful academic career as independently-funded clinician-scientists.