Research

DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT

Collaborative efforts between the highly ranked School of Pharmacy at the University of Kansas and several regional partners, including the Stowers Institute of Medical Research, provide the strength for innovative discoveries in oncology treatment. KU has strong capabilities in high throughput screening, combinatorial chemistry, bioinformatics, structural biology, imaging, analytical and process chemistry in large part due to three NIH funded grants. Committed to gaining knowledge in the lab and translating discoveries to the clinic allows Kansans access to emerging therapies through the clinical trials program.

Improving access to these clinical trials is the key driver in the University's plan for delivering comprehensive cancer care and achieving NCI designation. In order to improve this access, infrastructural developments committed to the management and development of clinical trials are a significant part of the KU Cancer Center. The Cancer Center manages seven shared core facilities that support the research programs and member investigators. These resources include: Biospecimen, Biostatistics, Biotechnology Innovation and Optimization, Clinical Trials Office, Drug Discovery and Development Project Management, Flow Cytometry, and High Throughput Screening.

CLINICAL TRIALS

The Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Kansas is committed to offering its patients the most advanced therapies available in all of the Otolaryngology sub-specialties. The Director of Clinical Research serves as the key facilitator for the development of new investigator initiated trials and participation in multi-center trials. Assistance is available for all aspects of clinical trials including: protocol development, statistical analysis, clinical research coordination, regulatory document management, Institutional Review Board compliance management, and poster/manuscript preparation.
Over the last several years the department has participated in numerous clinical trials and continues to provide opportunities for patients to enroll in prospective trials for various diagnoses. Specifically for our Head and Neck patients these trials have included innovative therapeutics, quality-of-life assessment, and supportive care interventions.