A HUGE thank you to the teams at each of the SPIRIT Regional Coordinating Center hubs that worked on the StrokeNet grant renewal submission to the NINDS. An extra big thank you to Sara Jasak, Yale assistant director - research, for leading the effort. Coming in at 528 (!) pages, this was a major effort made by all!
SPIRIT Renewal Highlights
The SPIRIT Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) Hub patient volume is robust, with more than 6,200 stroke patients served in 2022.
The SPIRIT RCC was #4 in overall recruitment across StrokeNet trials. Our RCC or a center from our RCC had the following enrollment ranks for individual trials: (ARCADIA #10), (ARCADIA-CSI #7), (ASPIRE #2), (CAPTIVA #1), (CREST-H #3), (CREST-2 #7), (DEFUSE3 #2), (MOST #6), (SATURN #7), (SATURN-MRI #4), (Sleep SMART #5).
The SPIRIT RCC is in the top 10 for the majority of trials that we participate in, and is often in the top five with very good to outstanding quality as measured by time to IRB and contract submission, retention of participants, and documentation.
Our collaborations have resulted in more than 100 joint publications since July 1, 2018 (authors from at least two of the SPIRIT centers)
North Shore had THREE enrollments for CAPTIVA without a four-week span in December 2022 and January 2023! This team is led by Site PI Rohan Arora, MD and Coordinator Kirendra Pasram.
SPIRIT Team Shot
Yale Coordinators Left to Right: Melissa Pish, Neha Shrishail, Maia Schlechter, Eva Kitlen, Leah Kleinberg, and Jisoo Kim
International Stroke Conference 2023
With well over 100 presentations, SPIRIT had a significant presence at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference (ISC) 2023 in Dallas, Texas in February.
Lauren Sansing, MD, MS (Yale) was the ISC 2023 Program Vice Chair. As Vice Chair, Dr. Sansing coordinated programming for the meeting, served as moderator on key sessions, and provided daily highlights and top, late-breaking science overviews.
See Dr. Sansing's Science News discussions about the Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network Design and Interim Analysis (SPAN): 1) Wednesday - "SPAN Results" and 2) Friday - SPAN's "Purpose, Evolution and Future Potential."
Key Scientific Presentations
Cyprien Rivier, MD, MS (Yale), postdoctoral fellow was an author on this presentation:
"Poor oral health may contribute to declines in brain health" - Abstract 126
Jeffrey Katz (North Shore University Hospital) is an author on this presentation:
"Irregular heart rhythms detected in 1 in 5 stroke survivors, increasing risk of new stroke" - #ISC23 Late-Breaking Science Presentation LB 1
Left to Right: Danison Emmerson, MD); Mu Ji Hwang, MD; Kun He Lee, MD; Christoph Stretz, MD; Rohan Arora, MD; Alan Vela, MD; Sandra Anghel; Ahmad Ballout, MD; Kayla Stanton; Not pictured - Crystal Sosa, MD
Left to Right: Ahmad Ballout, MD and Alan Vela, MD
Announcements
In the StrokeNet grand renewal submission, Northwell Health was added as the fourth official SPIRIT hub. Northwell's track record over the last three years has been impressive.
Richard Temes, MD is the Northwell Co-Principal Investigator.
The Stroke Center Lead for Northwell is Rohan Arora, MD.
Betsy Moclair, RN, CCRC, and director of research, neurosurgery, is the StrokeNet primary coordinator at Northwell.
Sleep SMART at Staten Island has a new Site PI, Umran Ugur MD, and a new Coordinator, Alicia Currier. They had their first subject randomization on February 17, 2023.
SATURN at Staten Island has a new Site PI, David Ledoux, MD, and a new Site Coordinator, Alicia Currier.
SISTER site selection survey due to Ruth by Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
StrokeNet Spring Network Webinar - Joe Broderick
Spring Network Webinar: April 19, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., EST
SPIRIT RCC Total Enrollments by Centers,
7/1/18 to 3/22/23, N=176
PI & Coordinator Spotlight: PI Laura Ment, MD and Coordinator Maia Schlechter
Cheers to the I-ACQUIRE team at Yale! With the hard work and expertise of coordinator Maia Schlechter (pictured at left with Primary Coordinator Michael Kampp), Yale has had three recent subject randomizations, one of whom lives in the United Kingdom. Site PI Laura Ment, MD (not pictured) gives all the credit to Maia, without whom none of this would have happened!
Trial Shout Outs!
February 2023: North Shore University Hospital is a Top Enrolling Site (with three!!) for CAPTIVA (Site PI Rohan Arora, MD) (CAPTIVA February 2023 Newsletter).
The North Shore team was also recognized for making enrollments smooth and the continuity of care seamless!
February 2023: North Shore University Hospital was the Spotlight Site for MOST for randomizing its fourth subject (Site PI Rohan Arora, MD) (MOST Enrollment Newsflash, February 10, 2023).
February 2023: The Miriam Hospital hit the 200th enrollment milestone for the CREST-H study (Site PI Gaurav Jindal, MD) (NIH StrokeNet First Friday Update).
Arora Named SPIRIT StrokeNet Lead at Northwell
As Northwell joins the SPIRIT Regional Coordinating Center (RCC) formally, Rohan Arora MD will be the Stroke Lead on the Trial Operations Committee. As a reminder, each site has a local TOC that meets weekly, as well as participating in the monthly SPIRIT TOC meeting.
Dr. Arora is assistant professor of neurology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is a graduate of the NINDS Stroke Program, where he developed an interest in clinical trials. He laid the groundwork for Northwell Health to be part of NIH StrokeNet since its release in 2013 and developed an internal infrastructure in inpatient and outpatient settings to facilitate clinical trials at various sites at Northwell Health. Northwell was among the top 5% of enrollers in Sleep SMART for 2020 and top five sites for CAPTIVA.
At North Shore, Dr. Arora is site PI of StrokeNet trials (MOST, Sleep SMART, CAPTIVA) and founding director of SPIRIT RCC Fellows Collaborative Consortium, a group of vascular neurology and neurocritical care fellows and faculty across Yale, Brown, Hartford, and Northwell, which aims to facilitate training in clinical research, integrate clinical trials as part of fellowship and support the mission of the NIH to maximize recruitment and retention of patients in clinical trials.
Dr. Arora is looking forward to serving in this regional leadership role. He would like to thank Drs. Richard Temes and Kevin Sheth for the opportunity.
Undergraduate: Stony Brook University Medical training: Stony Brook University School of Medicine Residency: Yale New Haven Hospital
Christian Barrera Maldonado, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellow - Northwell
Where are you from/where were you raised? Mexico Medical training: Universidad de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Residency: Internal Medicine at Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ Research interests: SAH, status epilepticus, and ICH Career Goals: Achieve fellow status at the Neurocritical Care Society, continue important research in neurocritical care, and become a distinguished faculty member at a medical school and in a residency program
Kun He Lee, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellow - Yale Where are you from/where we you raised? Born in Seoul, South Korea, but great up in Penn./central NJ
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania Medical Training: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass. Research interests: Intracerebral hemorrhage, healthcare access/equality Career Goals: Working in an inner city/urban population setting as an academic neurologist
Haroon Khawar, DO
Vascular Neurology Fellow - Northwell Health
Where are you from/where were you raised? Buffalo, NY Undergraduate: Stony Brook University Medical training: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Residency: North Shore University Hospital Research interests: Pharmacologic agents to expedite neuro recovery and rehabilitation in stroke patients
Kasun Navarathna, MD
Neurocritical Care Fellow - Yale
Undergraduate: Binghamton University, State University of New York Medical training: Boston University School of Medicine Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Alan Vela, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellow - Northwell Health
Where are you from/where were you raised? Houston, Texas Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin Medical Training: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine Residency: Albany Medical Center Research interests: Anticoagulation after intracranial hemorrhage Career Goals: Academic vascular neurologist or neurohospitalist
