HCRN Annual Report 2018

For the majority of its 35-year history, Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN) has been one of the best kept secrets in clinical oncology research. Through steady leadership and a responsive organizational structure, HCRN has quietly navigated decades of change in the field of oncology, always keeping the needs of our members at the very heart of our mission and goals. We adapt as nimbly as any organization, yet we remain rooted by our founders’ vision to serve as an unparalleled resource for conducting multi-center investigator-initiated research.

Well, times have changed, and the secret is out. HCRN has become the go-to multi-site collaborator for many of the nation’s top oncology researchers. Just walk the poster aisles or browse the schedule at any of the nation’s top oncology meetings, and we are there.

What is the key to our success? At the risk of sounding cliché, I would argue that it is our people. The staff of HCRN are an exceptional group of research professionals who bring a wide range of expertise to the organization. We have legal and contracting professionals who understand the intricacies and challenges of multi-party research contracts, and budgeting staff who ensure accurate and realistic expectations are set from the start. We have oncology nurses and certified research professionals who work with investigators to draft protocols and manage our clinical trials. We have an expert data team that creates customized databases and validation processes for each study. Our data managers and monitors work closely with our participating sites to ensure data is timely and of the highest quality. Our safety and regulatory staff expertly navigate the many facets of FDA submissions, IRB reviews, SAE reporting, and DSMC management. We have correlative staff who work with our investigators to extract as much knowledge as possible from the samples our patients so graciously donate to advancing scientific research.

Our staff come to us from a wide range of backgrounds and professional experiences. Yes, we have expertise. But we also have heart. Our staff come to HCRN with a desire to make a difference, and to use their talents for the good of all cancer patients. Years in the clinic or the CRO have prepared them well for this service.

When you bring together a group of motivated, compassionate, highly qualified experts under the roof of an organization that has a proven record of success and the ability to adapt to change as well as HCRN does — you just can’t keep it a secret. I applaud the HCRN staff, our member sites and investigators, our funders, and our supporters, for making 2018 the best in our 35-year history. Job well done!

— Christopher A. Fausel, PharmD, MHA, BCOP

See the HCRN 2018 Annual Report.

About Hoosier Cancer Research Network:

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (formerly known as Hoosier Oncology Group) conducts innovative cancer research in collaboration with academic and community physicians and scientists across the United States. The organization provides comprehensive clinical trial management and support, from conception through publication. Created in 1984 as a program of the Walther Cancer Institute, Hoosier Cancer Research Network became an independent nonprofit clinical research organization in 2007. Since its founding, Hoosier Cancer Research Network has conducted more than 210 trials in a variety of cancer types and supportive care, resulting in more than 350 publications. More than 8,500 subjects have participated in Hoosier Cancer Research Network clinical trials.