Southern Consortium Node of the Clinical Trials Network (Varenicline)

The Southern Consortium Node (SCN), an integral part of the NIDA-funded Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Consortium since 2000, has demonstrated the capacity, expertise, and flexibility to respond to the evolving CTN mission, leading and contributing to cutting-edge clinical research in real-world settings with outstanding performance metrics. During the renewal period, the specific aims include sustaining and growing collaborative relationships with a broad array of geographically-dispersed clinical programs, including robust connections with a variety of healthcare entities in South Carolina and surrounding states (Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia), MUSC Regional Health Network, Telehealth Center of Excellence and the newly formed South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction. The SCN will also continue strategic collaborations with community-based organizations, policy-makers, and individuals with lived experience through the Policy Advisory Committee to advise and inform SCN activities. Using state-of-the-art research methodologies and technical innovations, the SCN will continue to develop and conduct clinical trials focused on the substance use disorder (SUD) continuum (prevention, treatment, and recovery) using implementation science to ensure public health impact. The SCN will also work across a number of ongoing research training initiatives using the CTN as a training platform to increase, strengthen, and broaden the SUD research workforce. These strong relationships, complemented and enhanced by our statewide CTSA infrastructure, provide a research capacity that extends far beyond our academic home and will enhance SCN efforts to provide accessible pathways for broad community engagement in clinical trials, better understand the impact of individual and regional development and support on SUDs, and facilitate impactful dissemination and implementation efforts. In sum, the SCN has the experience, creativity and the collaborative and innovative spirit required to meet new challenges and to lead and participate in CTN initiatives. The multidisciplinary SCN team includes expertise in addiction psychiatry, clinical research informatics (including advanced data analytics and healthcare technologies), comorbidity, polysubstance use, adolescent substance use, prevention, recovery, integration of addiction medicine in a variety of healthcare settings, remote clinical trial methods, training/education, dissemination & implementation, and public health policy. The SCN research agenda addresses critical opportunities across the SUD continuum and across the translational research continuum ensuring that our agenda drives research questions with substantial public health significance.