October 17, 2021

The Colorado Longitudinal Study (COLS) is working with the Human Performance Clinical Research Laboratory (HPCRL) at Colorado State University (CSU) to provide clinical support at its first recruitment site in Fort Collins, announced COLS Chief Operating Officer Meredith Guerrero.

HPCRL provides clinical study support to researchers, both at CSU and outside the university. The program will staff COLS first recruitment site opening in early 2022 at the Columbine Center for Healthy Aging on the CSU campus. HPCRL staff will guide COLS participants through the informed consent process and conduct the blood donation. They also will provide support activities, including lab technician services and biospecimen storage.

“Supporting COLS really fits with our mission to discover new knowledge, so we’re very excited to be a part of this,” said Laurie Biela, HPCRL’s manager of research operations. “Our big umbrella of research is enhancing health span, so the partnership between COLS, the Center for Healthy Aging, and our program fits nicely.”

The Future of COLS Operations

HPCRL already has begun working with COLS to finalize the biobank’s Institutional Review Board protocol and establish operating procedures, Guerrero said, adding that the program’s expertise in clinical study support is invaluable in the start-up phase of COLS. “HPCRL follows Good Clinical Practice Standards, which are recognized by the FDA and NIH as the gold standard for scientific research. We’re grateful for their expertise because we know it means a safe environment for our participants and high-quality collections for our research projects.”

COLS was established as a non-profit organization to ensure that the concerns of participants take priority, notes Phyllis Wise, Ph.D., COLS chief executive officer. “COLS can only become the invaluable research resource we dream of with the support of Coloradans who are willing to donate their time and data,” Wise said. “Our participants’ privacy and safety are paramount, and we know HPCRL’s track record in this area will go far in relieving any concerns they might have about COLS as a new entity.”

Collaborating with the Best in the Field

HPCRL is a designated CSU Program of Research and Scholarly Excellence, which is overseen by Executive Director Barry Braun and Medical Director Scott Fahrner. Its expertise in obtaining research participant consent and safely drawing blood was showcased last year during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. HPCRL drew blood and obtained nasal swabs from 500 essential workers within six weeks as part of a CSU research study. The study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association and helped advance understanding of how COVID-19 spreads in the essential worker population.

“We are enthusiastic about being involved in the COLS as we have extensive experience in this role that we believe will contribute to the success of this pioneering study,” Braun said. “And there is the added bonus of expanding our mutually beneficial partnership with the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging.”