Facilities and Support
For additional information on how to access these facilities, please contact the CRFs Manager (mariella.dalessandro@nhs.scot).
You may be interested in this CRF booklet by the NIHR, which explains the role and activities of the CRF’s across the UK.
For more information on our facilities and services, please see below.
Training
To participate in regulated clinical research, it is a legal requirement that you have received approved training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) within three years of commencing any research activity. It is also a local requirement that for non-regulated clinical research, all researchers have undertaken approved Good Research Practice (GRP) or Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, as indicated by sponsor, before commencing any activity.
All training activities are provided by the Grampian Research Office Training Team and are in compliance with both legal requirements and the University of Aberdeen - NHS Grampian joint SOPS for clinical research.
The Grampian Research Office Training Team also offer a range of other courses, seminars and training alongside GCP and GRP. Click on the Training tab for further information on courses available and how to book.
Research Facilities in Grampian
- Biorepository
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The Grampian Biorepository is a fully accredited tissue bank. It provides academic and industry researchers with a range of high quality tumour and normal specimens and clinical data obtained from patients across Scotland.
- Pharmacy
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The Clinical Trials Pharmacy, based in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI), has 2 dedicated pharmacists, a co-ordinator, who is an Accuracy Checking Technician (ACT), and 2 support workers. The Clinical Trials team supports approximately 170 commercial and non-commercial trials in Oncology, Haematology and various other specialities including Dermatology, Cardiology, Clinical Genetics, Clinical Pharmacology. Trial intravenous chemotherapy is supplied from the Aseptic pharmacy unit at ARI. Investigational Medicinal Products (IMP’s) are stored in the ARI Clinical Trials Unit, which is temperature controlled.
For general enquiries please contact gram.pharmacytrials@nhs.scot.
The Paediatric Trials Pharmacy is based in Royal Aberdeen Children Hospital (RACH). The Team has a dedicated pharmacist and a dedicated technician. Support for the oncology trials is provided by the clinical pharmacists and dispensary team at RACH. Trial intravenous chemotherapy is supplied from the Aseptic pharmacy unit at ARI. IMPs for non-oncology paediatric studies are stored at the ARI Clinical Trials Unit. The Scottish Children’s Research Network Pharmacist is based at RACH and supports study feasibility and set-up of both non-commercial and commercial studies.
For general enquiries please contact gram.pharmacytrials@nhs.scot.
Pharmacy should be contacted as early as possible during the design of your study.
- Clinical Laboratories
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NHS Grampian laboratories hold UKAS accreditation for Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology, Immunology, Medical Genetics, Microbiology/Virology and Pathology. Contact: CRF Manager (mariella.dalessandro@nhs.scot).
The University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health holds ISO 9001:2015 certification for research into the role of nutrition in disease.
GRO can provide evidence of accreditation and certification data and sit on the Laboratory Medicine Quality Assurance Committee.
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (NSS) laboratories on the Foresterhill Campus also hold CPA accreditation.
Contact: Quality Assurance Manager based in R&D gram.randd@nhs.scot.
- Imaging
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It is well equipped, with state of the art MRI, CT, Gamma cameras, SPECT/CT and PET/CT machines and is supported by access to extensive academic and clinical image analysis and image development expertise.
It also has a cyclotron and full radio-chemistry facilities, a counting lab and a radio-nuclide therapy service.
MRI
The Imaging Facilities co-ordinator is Mrs Teresa Morris (e-mail: t.morris@abdn.ac.uk; Tel: 01224 438363). For additional information please visit http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ims/research/abic.
PET
For information, please contact Dr Roger Staff (e-mail: roger.staff@nhs.scot; Tel: 01224 552239) or visit http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ims/research/abic/facilities-106.php.
DEXA scanners
For details please contact Mrs Lana Gibson, Senior Radiographer (e-mail: lana.gibson@nhs.scot; Tel: 01224 550820) or visit Bone Densitometry Service.
Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre (ABIC)
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/ims/research/abic/
Provides state of the art imaging facilities and expertise.
- Centre for Genome-Enabled Biology and Medicine
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https://www.abdn.ac.uk/genomics/
This centre provides next generation sequencing (NGS) capacity and other genome enabling technologies for translational and clinical research.
Support available in Grampian
- Research Nurses Support
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The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) invests through NHS Research Scotland (NRS) infrastructure to support research studies in Scotland. In Grampian this means eligible studies can have access to a cohort of trained research nurses.
Access to nurse support is centralised through the Lead Research Nurse (vicky.taylor3@nhs.scot or 01224 555171).
- Grampian Data Safe Haven (DaSH)
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http://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/facilities/grampian-data-safe-haven.php
The Grampian Data Safe Haven (DaSH), a secure environment created by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian, allows researchers to safely access and analyse sensitive health and social data for the Grampian and Scottish populations while maintaining privacy, governance, and patient confidentiality.
- Centre for Health Care and Randomised Trials (ChaRT)
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https://www.abdn.ac.uk/hsru/what-we-do/trials-unit/
This is a registered clinical trials unit offering support from experienced trial and data managers and statistical staff. ChaRT engages with investigators at the study design stage, to ensure adequate CTU support and appropriate funding for each trial.
- Health Economics Research Unit
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This unit supports research to evaluate healthcare interventions, improve research practice and design better healthcare.
- Health Services Research Unit
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This Unit manages an internationally recognised portfolio of health services research focusing on Health Care assessment and Improving Experiences of Care.
- Medical Statistics
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https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/research/medical-statistics/
Medical Statistics provide methodological support and statistical consultancy on a range of study designs (inc., case-control, cohort, observational, RCTs).
- Research Data Management
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https://www.abdn.ac.uk/it/services/data-management/
The Research Applications and Data Management team provides assistance with database design, web applications, random population surveys, case-control designs. They can also help with data- cleaning and transfer to a more manageable format.
- UoA IT Services
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The IT services guarantee a range of research support, including high performance computation facilities, specialist software, data networking and storage.