UAMS Invites Public to Clinical Trials Day Celebration May 21
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is inviting the public to attend its celebration of Clinical Trials Day on May 21, 2018.
The celebration will be 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the first floor lobby of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Attendees can enjoy snacks and drinks and visit with UAMS researchers, research staff and clinical trial participants to learn more about clinical trials at UAMS.
Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on or near May 20 each year in memory of the first randomized clinical trial, May 20, 1747, which discovered that citrus fruit could prevent scurvy in sailors.
A clinical trial is medical research that requires the participation of people. Clinical trials study a medical, surgical or behavioral intervention. For example, a trial may test a new medication, diet or medical device (such as a knee replacement) to see if it is safe and effective. Commonly, clinical trials seek to understand if a new treatment is more effective and/or has less harmful side effects than standard treatment.
“Clinical trials are an important foundation of biomedical research, advancing medicine and saving untold lives with the development of treatments that so many of us take for granted,” said Laura James, M.D., director of the UAMS Translational Research Institute and associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational research. “This day honors the work of the professionals who develop and conduct clinical trials and all individuals who have previously participated in clinical trials. Their past participation made it possible for current patients to benefit from new innovations to advance health outcomes.”
The Clinical Trials Day celebration is sponsored by UAMS’ Translational Research Institute, Cancer Institute, Myeloma Institute and Research Compliance Office.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.