Clinical Research Committee

Purpose

To address important clinical and epidemiological research issues in hepatology.

Tasks

The Committee will:

Clinical Research Workshop (held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting).

Choose the organizer of the annual AASLD Clinical Research Workshop based upon a written proposal submitted to the Committee. Interact with the course organizer, to help in the design, planning, organization, and conduct of the annual AASLD Clinical Research Workshops.

Other meetings

• Solicit topics for the Clinical Research Single Topic Conference and identify appropriate persons to organize the conference. Interact regularly with the Clinical Research Single Topic Conference organizer during the planning and organizing of the conference.
• Plan, organize, and conduct a yearly Clinical Research Single Topic Conference on clinical investigation, epidemiology of hepatobiliary diseases and/or promote clinical investigation in hepatobiliary disease.
• Solicit topics for the Pediatric Single Topic Conference and identify appropriate persons to organize the conference. Interact regularly with the Pediatric Single Topic Conference course director during the planning and organizing of the conference.
• Solicit ideas, in conjunction with the Basic Research Committee, for the Hepatitis Single Topic Conference. Choose the organizer of the Hepatitis Single Topic Conference based upon written proposals submitted to the committee. (NOTE: The Basic Research and Clinical Research Committees will alternate organization responsibilities for the Hepatitis Single Topic Conference. The Basic Research Committee will be responsible for the conference during the odd years (2015, 2017, etc.); the Clinical Research Committee will be responsible for the conference during the even years (2014, 2016, etc.)

Other work

• Annually review the call for abstracts and make recommendations to the Governing Board.
• Annually review Special Interest Group proposals and make recommendations to the Education Oversight Committee.
• Work with other academic and lay organizations and the relevant components of the Federal government on issues of mutual importance, such as making recommendations for clinical trials or epidemiological surveys in important hepatobiliary diseases.
• Work within the budget and policies set forth by the Governing Board.

The Chair will:

• Assign, with approval of the AASLD President, special ad-hoc members.
• Appoint, if necessary, committee members to serve as liaisons to similar committees in related organizations.
• Participate as a member of the AASLD Scientific Program Committee.
• Participate as a member of the NIH Committee.
• Participate as a member of the Education Oversight Committee.
• Ensure proper management of the Single Topic Conferences.
• Submit a written report to each Governing Board meeting.
• Make policy recommendations to the Governing Board.

Size, Term, Composition

• Sixteen (16) members including one (1) ad-hoc member from the National Institutes of Health (usually a program director from the epidemiology and clinical trials branch of the division of digestive diseases and nutrition of the national institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases).
• Committee members serve a staggered three-year term with new members appointed annually.
• Committee members should include representatives of all important fields of clinical investigation in hepatobiliary diseases (hepatologists, surgeons, pediatricians, epidemiologists, trainee representatives, associates, and pathologists).
• The committee should have expertise in all major fields of hepatologic research (such as alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, pediatric liver disease, portal hypertension, autoimmune liver disease, biliary disease, cancer, and hepatic transplantation).
• The chair is appointed for three years and his/her total term may not exceed five years. The chair must have previous experience on the committee.

Appointment

Committee members will be selected by the President-Elect of AASLD, with the advice and consent of the Governing Board.

Governing Board Liaison

A Board liaison will be appointed for the purpose of sharing information between the committee, the Governing Board, and staff.

Reports To

The committee reports to the Governing Board. Written reports are submitted for each Governing Board meeting.

Meetings

The committee meets via conference call in late Spring and during the AASLD Annual Meeting.

Work Outside Of Meetings

Moderate

Costs

Individual committee member expenses are reimbursed in accordance with Association policy.

Relates To Goal

• Goal 1.1 Provide in-person and online education
• Goal 2.1 Facilitate translational science continuity from basic discovery into practice, cost-effective care, and health policy.

Committee Members