The Clinical Trials Unit of the Institute for Lung Diseases of Vojvodina coordinates its activities with all other parts of the Institute (clinics, centers) in order to enhance scientific, research, and publication activities.
Core activities:
- Coordination of clinical studies conducted at the Institute. A unique centralized approach to clinical studies ensures a uniform and rapid assessment of the adequacy of the clinical study, its scientifically justified design, ethics, as well as commercial viability. A centralized method of communication with CRO companies ensures quick implementation and channeling of the Institute’s resources (employment of principal investigators, coordinators, sub-investigators), provides rapid and efficient forwarding of feasibility questionnaires and the execution of the clinical study. CTU provides logistical support to researchers from all areas of pulmonology who request such assistance.
- Project Management. Designing projects in the field of pulmonology and applying to relevant institutions that provide scholarships, in coordination with the Faculty of Medicine and the University of Novi Sad, as well as organizing a network of collaborators from European and other international medical institutions is also one of the activities CTU. Collaboration with coordinators from other areas of pulmonology within the Institute for Lung Diseases of Vojvodina, the Secretariat for Science of Vojvodina, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia, and organizing scientific meetings with collaborators from the University of Novi Sad, network universities from the EU, as well as direct collaboration with the Vojvodina Office in Brussels and the European Commission.
- Design of Institutional Clinical Trials. Designing and organizing local clinical academic trials aimed at resulting in publication in a foreign journal with an impact factor is also part of the activities of CTU. The concept of the trials is presented by external collaborators of CTU, who submit their proposals to CTU and collaboratively design the trial. Every trial designed at CTU must comply with the guidelines for conducting clinical trials, which are best explained by the Legislation Council of Great Britain (The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations). All trials within the Institute must meet the fundamental propositions of clinical trials in accordance with “International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)” to be eligible for publication.
- Coordination of International Academic Non-Profit Studies. There is a great interest in joint research between the Institute and large international research consortia. CTU also provides support to young researchers for obtaining scholarships from ERS, IASLC, ATS or other associations for which researchers wish to apply for scholarships.
- Publications. CTU strives to ensure regular publication in the field of pulmonology in international journals with impact factors, as well as to provide support to other researchers from the Institute in the form of article reviews, alignment of articles with ICMJE, selection of publications and reviewers.