Newly Expanded Clinical Research Center at UNR Med Fosters Collaboration and Research with Renown Health

Renown Health and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) are proud to announce a newly integrated and expanded research space called the Clinical Research Center (CRC). This space offers a dynamic physical location on the University of Nevada, Reno campus that supports the UNR Med and Renown Health research enterprise. "The partnership between Renown Health and UNR Med truly knows no bounds, and this Clinical Research Center is an incredible example of that endless possibility,” said Thomas Graf, MD, interim CEO of Renown Health. “This new space will only continue to expand our community’s access to clinical research as part of patient care while providing the necessary resources to engage our students and support a healthy Nevada.”

This space’s capabilities include experienced staff with knowledge and skills in operationalizing FDA and non-FDA regulated clinical and translational research studies in a centralized 5,470-square foot research clinic housed in the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) at the University. This CRC space provides resources including:

• A centralized location next to the laboratory space that allows for strategic interdisciplinary collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists.
• Eleven private outpatient rooms for research clinic visits.
• Two blood draw stations.
• Physician consultation areas.
• Conference room for trial monitoring and consulting.
• Secure Investigational Product storage and preparation.
• Sample processing and storage, including countertop refrigerated centrifuges, 4°, -20° and -80° C refrigerators and freezers.

Operations around clinical research are becoming more complex so growing clinical research in our community will require expertise and dedicated space where clinical research can be conducted in a learning environment first,” said Danielle Eaton, Director of Clinical Research with UNR Med and Renown Health. “This Clinical Research Center provides such space and experienced staff where these research studies can be successfully completed. The CRC provides a training environment for students, residents, faculty and clinical research professional work-force that will be needed to bring cutting edge diagnostics, therapeutics and preventatives to our community.”

Meet the Team:

• Danielle Eaton, UNR Med Director of Clinical Research
• Kristen Gurnea, Renown Health Manager of Clinical Research
• Amber Emerson, UNR Med Project Manager
• Valerie Smith, UNR Med Center Administrative Manager
• Annie Beach-Hills, Gina Castro, Michelle Mejia and Amil Trujillo-King, UNR Med Study Coordinators
• Dr. John Westhoff, UNR Med Chair of Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine physician
• Dr. Sean Kandel, UNR Med Associate Program Director for Resident Research, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
• Dr. Amneet Rai, UNR Med Clinical research pharmacist
• Dr. Kellie Watkins, UNR Med Clinical Epidemiologist/Data Manager/Statistician

As part of the affiliation between UNR Med and Renown Health, the Clinical Research Office is part of an integrated Office of Clinical Research, which allows both entities to collaborate on shared research program objectives. This effort allows colleagues to partner on clinical research, and to leverage bench-to-bedside research and delivery of leading-edge healthcare to northern Nevadans.

About Renown Health

Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®.

About UNR Med

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), Nevada’s first public medical school, is a community-based, research-intensive medical school with a statewide vision for a healthy Nevada. Since 1969, UNR Med has trained more than 3,900 students, residents and fellows. UNR Med continues to improve the health and well-being of all Nevadans and their communities through excellence in student education, postgraduate training and clinical care, research with local, national and global impact and a culture of diversity and inclusion. For more information, visit med.unr.edu.