emory center for aids research cores
Clinical Research Core

The Clinical Research Core supports clinical studies and translational studies in broad areas of HIV research including immunology, pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention.
The Core supports research through four clinical sites that, collectively see roughly 11,000 patients living with HIV and 2,000 HIV- volunteers, constituting one of the largest CFAR-based HIV clinical research populations in the U.S.
The Clinical Research Core maintains an HIV Disease Registry and an HIV Specimen Repository. Through the Core, HIV researchers may request access to these resources as well as support with related data analysis. See below for more information on these services and learn more about the HIV Disease Registry here: http://it.emory.edu/ClinicalResearchData/data-sources/cfar.html
Services Offered by the Core
Consultation:
- Consultation on best practices in health communications and study recruitment
- Consultation on clinical research study design and data collection
- Consultation and administrative support in seeking and maintaining regulatory approval for research in human subjects
- This includes equipment associated with patient assessments (blood pressure cuffs, scales, etc.) and Core personnel to assist study subjects locate the office(s) and exam room(s) being used for research.
- Hope Clinic
- Ponce Clinic
- Submit a request to conduct research at the Ponce Clinic >
Note: This request should be submitted prior to GROC submission and either before or at the same time as Emory IRB submission
- Submit a request to conduct research at the Ponce Clinic >
- Emory University Hospital Midtown
- Atlanta VA Medical Center
Access to Shared Equipment:
- Equipment for separating and cryopreserving biospecimens
- Centrifuges
- -70 and -150 degree Celsius freezers
- cell counters
Access to Data:
- CFAR HIV Disease Registry Data Extraction ($150/hour)
The CFAR HIV Disease Registry contains historical information from the medical records of patients with HIV. To request access to HIV Disease Registry data, complete both forms below:- CFAR HIV Disease Registry Data Pull Request form >
- CFAR HIV Disease Registry Scope of Work form >
This document is used by the analysts to collect specific data requirements and case/data definitions for the project. - CFAR Science Core Service Voucher:
Apply for a CFAR Science Core Service Voucher to offset costs related to a CFAR HIV Disease Registry data pull for an unfunded study. For more information on this opportunity, visit the ‘Request a Service’ page.
Access to Materials:
- Collection of biologic research specimens (PBMC, plasma, serum, swabs, cell pellet, breast milk, urine, hair, tears, lymph node, gut and rectal biopsies)
- Clinical Research Registry and Linked Specimen Repository. To request any of the specimens listed below, complete the CFAR Specimen Request form >
- Stage of Infection:
- HIV exposed
- HIV uninfected
- Acute HIV infection
- Recent HIV infection
- Long-term non-progressor
- Virologic Control:
- Elite controller
- Viremic controller
- Co-infections:
- Acute Hepatitis B
- Acute Hepatitis C
- SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
- Treatment Status:
- Anti-retroviral treatment naïve
- Anti-retroviral treatment naïve, beginning therapy (with samples collected longitudinally while on therapy)
- Stage of Infection:
- Support for Clinical Studies (including Clinical Trials):
For early-stage investigators or investigators new to HIV:- Protocol design and writing
- Regulatory and IRB application development, submission, and maintenance assistance
- Research Match search of a clinical research registry to identify persons with HIV with specific characteristics as potential study participants—pulling from a pool of 1000s of potential participants living with HIV
- Recruitment and enrollment of volunteers in clinical trials and studies (through ResearchMatch.org)
- Phlebotomy and specimen collection, processing, inventory, storage, and shipping
- Data collection, management and analysis
- Study conduct (research nursing and oversight) and volunteer retention
- Quality management for clinical research
- Report and manuscript preparation
- For established investigators with larger projects:
- Study design assistance
- Grant application collaboration
- Recruitment of volunteers in clinical trials (through ResearchMatch.org)
- Collaboration in conduct of funded projects
Research Support Services:
- Hemapheresis clinical services ($1,160/event)
- Leukaphresis processing ($2,246/event)
- Phlebotomy and consent ($45/event)
- Research recruitment clinical services ($35/hour)
- Rectal tissue collection ($300/each)
- Regulatory support ($40/hour)
Other Services:
- Community engagement
- Community education
- Linkages to other potential data and specimen resources for HIV research studies (i.e. MACS-WIHS Combined Cohort Study, HIV research CABs, NA-ACCORD, ACTG, IMPAACT)
- One-on-one training for junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, students, and research staff in the conduct of clinical research in HIV/AIDS
- Training on the development of research protocols and funding applications for clinical research
- Opportunities to present and get feedback on proposed and current research studies
- Contact the Clinical Research Core to learn about the CFAR Translational Research Interdisciplinary Group (TRIG).
To request any of the services listed above, please complete an Emory CFAR service request form >
Core Leadership and Key Staff

Vincent Marconi, MD
Co-Director
Site Director, VA Medical Center

Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc
Co-Director

Andres Camacho-Gonzalez, MD, MSc
Associate Director

Anandi Sheth, MD, MSc
Associate Director

Wendy Armstrong, MD
Site Director, Ponce Clinic

Nadine Rouphael, MD
Site Director, Hope Clinic

Kim Workowski, MD
Site Director, Emory Midtown

Divine McCaslin, DrPH, MPH
Program Manager, CFAR Clinical Core
Contact the Core
To contact the Core, reach out to Divine McCaslin.
Divine McCaslin, DrPH, MPH
Program Manager, Research Projects
Email: divine.c.mccaslin@emory.edu
Office Phone: 404.616.9330
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Contact Us
Center for AIDS Research at Emory University
1518 Clifton Rd, NE
R. Randall Rollins Building, R558
Mailstop: 1518-002-5CC
Atlanta, GA 30322-4201
404.727.2924 | cfaradmin@emory.edu