The CTN – CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network - Research for treatments, prevention and a cure

National Centre

The CTN’s National Centre is based in Vancouver and houses seven programs:

• Administration and Finance
• Communications and Information
• Data and Methodology
• International
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
• Project Management

Work in these programs is centered on the support and coordination of clinical trials and the administration of funds. Staff members connect with investigators and satellite sites across the country to provide services and information to stakeholders.

The National Centre’s Management Committee, comprised of the Chief Administrative Officer, the Chief Scientific Officer, programme heads and managers, oversee day-to-day operations.

Core Research Teams

In 2008, after nearly 20 years of advances in an evolving epidemic and research environment, the Network developed a new strategy to transition from a regional structure into the present Core Research Model. The new Core structure supports our scientists – emerging and experienced – to generate new concepts and protocols. The Cores strive to ensure that studies are implemented while still topical, and are equipped to provide a forum for dynamic discussion of research ideas and the rapid movement of research initiatives into clinical trials.

The Core teams and their leadership are as follows:

• Clinical Management Science

(Drs. Fiona Smaill and Sharon Walmsley, Core Co-Leaders)

• Co-infections and Concurrent Diseases

(Drs. Curtis Cooper and Marina Klein, Core Co-Leaders)

• Prevention and Vulnerable Populations

(Drs. Mona Loutfy and Catherine Worthington, Core Co-Leaders)

• Vaccines and Immunotherapies

(Drs. Jonathan Angel and Jean-Pierre Routy, Core Co-Leaders)

Together, these teams function as a catalyst of scientific activity in their area. Core teams focus the expertise of clinical investigators and nurses, trial coordinators, CTN support staff, and members of the HIV community, on generating trial protocols that address the most urgent clinical questions of the day.

Clinical Management Science Core (CMS)

The Clinical Management Science Core focuses on three areas of research that address the needs of the HIV-patient populations at various stages: Individuals’ needs from diagnosis and before initiation of ART; individuals’ needs after initiation of ART, including toxicity and clinical management; and determinants of efficacy related to ART.

Co-infections and Concurrent Diseases Core (CCD)

The Co-infections and Concurrent Diseases Core focuses on the epidemiology and clinical care of emerging co-infections like HCV and HPV, as well as concurrent diseases like syphilis.

Prevention and Vulnerable Populations (PVP)

The Prevention and Vulnerable Populations Core focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, identifying the needs of vulnerable/at-risk HIV-positive individuals and engaging vulnerable/at-risk HIV-infected individuals in health care.

Vaccines and Immunotherapies Core (VIT)

The Vaccines and Immunotherapies Core focuses on research in targeted immunotherapies, prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, and emerging areas of research in treatment and immune-system support. The VIT Core aims to broaden interest in vaccines and immunotherapies and to engage more investigators in this area from across Canada.

Satellite Sites

The CTN facilitates HIV trials through a network of 35 research clinics and hospitals. The research staff at each site is led by a physician-investigator.

The National Centre provides funding for infrastructure and trial coordinators proportionate to the level of trial enrolment at each satellite. CTN sites report to the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Scientific Officer at the National Centre.

In early 2009, the CTN confirmed the roles and responsibilities of investigators at Network satellite and affiliated sites, an important step in strengthening the CTN’s ability to encourage greater involvement of network sites in clinical trials. Based on past performance and patient populations, 25 sites are now designated Satellite Sites and nine are Affiliate Sites.

Find out where CTN studies are taking place. >

Committees

CTN committees meet to review protocols, monitor trials in progress, set priorities and debate policy. They also advise the Executive Management Committee to ensure that all trials maintain the highest scientific and ethical standards. Committee members are bound by strict rules of confidentiality.

In addition to its standing committees below, the CTN has a number of ad hoc committees and working groups on topics such as ethics review, postdoctoral fellowships, international research, and cohort studies.

Executive Management Committee | Scientific Steering Committee | Scientific Review Committee | Community Advisory Committee | Data Safety Monitoring Committee

Executive Management Committee | Scientific Steering Committee | Scientific Review Committee | Community Advisory Committee | Data Safety Monitoring Committee

Executive Management Committee

The CTN’s Executive Management Committee (EMC) oversees the approval of trials and the allocation of resources to individual trials. The EMC reviews the recommendations of SRC and CAC and allocates funds to trials. The EMC communicates to the investigators in writing of the CTN’s recommendations and required changes.

Executive Management Committee | Scientific Steering Committee | Scientific Review Committee | Community Advisory Committee | Data Safety Monitoring Committee

Scientific Steering Committee

This expert group of scientists and people affected by HIV and other stakeholders serves as the CTN’s scientific board of directors. Drawing on its broad range of expertise and knowledge of national and international trends, members consider the recommendations of other Network committees and set research priorities.

Executive Management Committee | Scientific Steering Committee | Scientific Review Committee | Community Advisory Committee | Data Safety Monitoring Committee

Scientific Review Committee

Scientists, physicians and members of the HIV community are represented on this committee, which makes recommendations to the Scientific Steering Committee. Members meet twice yearly and up to four times by teleconference to provide peer reviews of proposals submitted to the CTN. They evaluate the scientific merit of experimental therapies as well as the design of trial protocols to ensure that all CTN trials are relevant and based on sound methodology.

Executive Management Committee | Scientific Steering Committee | Scientific Review Committee | Community Advisory Committee | Data Safety Monitoring Committee

Community Advisory Committee

The CAC brings together a broadly representative group of nine people from across Canada who are living with HIV or representing organizations fighting the epidemic. This committee reviews all protocols and informed consents submitted to the Network and makes recommendations to the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). It also advises the Scientific Review Committee and trial investigators and informs the SSC about the research priorities and concerns of HIV-positive Canadians.

Executive Management Committee | Scientific Steering Committee | Scientific Review Committee | Community Advisory Committee | Data Safety Monitoring Committee

Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC)

Experts in HIV clinical care, research design, biostatistics, ethics and law are among the members of DSMC, which monitors the safety and efficacy of trials in progress. The committee will also, occasionally, review preliminary analyses of trial results or new information and recommend changes in protocol or procedures, or the termination of a trial.