Director

Elizabeth Ofili, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., is professor of Medicine and chief of Cardiology at Morehouse School of Medicine and director of the Clinical Research Center. Ofili has a unique combination of being an outstanding clinician investigator, matched with having an excellent scientific publication and grants track record. She completed medical school at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria and received her Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. After completing her Internal Medicine Residency Program at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., Ofili pursued her Cardiology Fellowship at Washington University and St. Louis University Health Science Center.

Ofili continues to actively evaluate the role of echocardiography in clinical and population-based trials of hypertension and heart failure with particular relevance to health disparities. Her collaborative research efforts helped to establish several major research centers of excellence and training programs at MSM. She has received numerous grant awards from the NIH, NASA, Medical Foundations and the Pharmaceutical industry totaling over $56 million. She has mentored over 35 clinical and research fellows, and 26 undergraduate students. Ofili is a Past-President of the National Association of Black Cardiologists.

At Grady Memorial Hospital, Ofili established large clinical patient databases in congestive heart failure, chest pain and hyperlipidemia. These databases allow evaluation of treatment effectiveness, but more importantly offer a patient enrollment resource for ongoing clinical trials in coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Ofili has published over 100 scientific papers and has received several scientific research awards and honors. She has served on NIH and AHA study sections and review committees and on national research advisory committees; she currently serves on the AAMC Advisory Panel on Research. Under her outstanding leadership, the Master of Science in Clinical Research program has become the signature program at MSM for intensive training and education in clinical research. Under her guidance, over the past five years the CRC has begun to emerge as a nationally recognized leader in ethnic disparities clinical research. In addition, she is a co- PI of the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Institute (ACTSI).

Advisory Committees

C.2 The Clinical Research Advisory Committee (RCAC) advises the Principal Investigator and Program Director. The RCAC plays a major role in Strategic visioning, CRC Program development and RCRII competitive renewal application process by:

• Reviewing the operations of the clinical research program, including the core laboratories, setting general policies, and evaluating projects for Center use.
• Reviewing research protocols including design and data analysis, assigning priority scores for scientific merit as well as the need for Center resources to conduct the research.
• Assisting in the recruitment and mentorship of new investigators to the CRC.
• Supporting the outreach efforts of the CRC by encouraging external investigators in the appropriate use of the CRC.
• Making recommendations to the Program Director and PI on potential strategies to improve program effectiveness.
• Promoting the visibility and value of the CRC as a mechanism and catalyst for exponential growth in clinical research at MSM.

At a most recent meeting of the RCAC in June 2004, the acting chair, Gordon Williams, MD, applauded the growth of the umbrella organization that the CRC has become. The RCAC also suggested that the institution support the active transition to a GCRC model over the next 5 years.

The RCAC Internal Subcommittee Members (IS) were carefully selected to reflect the multidisciplinary emphasis and the focused research areas of the CRC as follows:

• W. Lynn Weaver , MD , Professor and Chair of Surgery
• Sandra Harris-Hooker , PhD, Professor of Pathology, Associate Dean, Office of Research Development and Deputy Director, MSM Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research
• James Reed , MD, Professor of Endocrinology and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine.
• Craig Bond , PhD, Associate Professor, Microbiology, (HIV/AIDS Research), Program Director, RCMI
• Gary Gibbons , MD, Professor of Medicine, Director, Cardiovascular Research Institute
• Veena Rao , PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, (Cancer Biologist)
• Alexander Quarshie , MD, MS, Biostatistician and Director Biostatistics and Data Coordinating Center
• Exofficio members of IS-RCAC include: The Program Director and Assistant Directors, Dianne Bradford, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry (Research Director CRC), Frederick Murphy, MSPH.

The RCAC External Subcommittee (ES) members were selected to reflect research expertise on health disparities and/or experience in directing GCRC programs at research intensive institutions:

• John Flack , MD, MPH is Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Wayne State University. A past president of the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks, Dr. Flack's research interests include hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
• Marilyn Hughes , RD, LD, PhD, is the Director of Contract Administration in Atlanta Public Schools' Nutrition Department. She previously held a faculty appointment at the University of Georgia serving as a nutrition research scientist, and also held a similar position at Georgia State University. Most of her research publications and experience are in the areas of nutrition and fitness behavior in the African American Community.
• Laura Hurt , RN, MHA, CNAA is Chief of Medical & Surgical Nursing at Grady Health Systems. Ms. Hurt's field of expertise is in nursing management, as well as quality of care.
• Larry Moreland , MD, Professor of Medicine, is the Program Director of the GCRC, University of Alabama, Birmingham, and Associate Dean for Clinical Research
• Thomas Pearson , MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Chair, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester, NY, Associate Dean is a nationally recognized expert on cardiovascular epidemiology and stroke research.
• Gordon Williams , MD, Professor of Medicine, Program Director, GCRC, Brigham and Women's hospital is an expert on neurohormonal mechanisms and gene-environment interactions in hypertension and related disorders.