Stroke Central Atlantic Network for Research (SCANR) - SCANR, the Stroke Central Atlantic Network for Research is based in the Mid-Atlantic region and headquartered in Washington, DC, and Charlottesville, VA. SCANR is located on the edge of the Stroke Belt, and both DC and Baltimore have high stroke incidence. SCANR includes four Carnegie Research 1 universities (Georgetown and George Washington Universities; the Universities of Virginia and Maryland), four CTSAs, a US News & World Report National Honor Roll Hospital (Children's National Medical Center), the largest hospital in DC (MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MWHC), the largest health care system in the Baltimore- Washington region (MedStar Health), the number 1 hospital in Virginia, UVA Medical Center, (US News & World Report, Newsweek), two Historically Black Universities (Howard University and University of DC) and the NINDS Intramural Stroke Program. SCANR sites evaluated over 8,100 acute strokes in 2022; approximately 40% (3,200) were Black/African American. Our NINDS-funded trial recruitment is excellent, screening all eligible patients for and enrolling in current Stroke Net trials: Acute: DEFUSE 3, FASTEST, MOST, RHAPSODY 2; Prevention: ARCADIA, ARCADIA-CSI, ASPIRE, CAPTIVA, CREST 2, CREST H, SATURN, SATURN-MRI, SLEEPSMART; Rehabilitation: VERIFY, TRANSPORT2; Pediatrics: I-ACQUIRE, along with additional NINDS-funded trials. SCANR also includes the National Coordinating Center for SHINE (UVA, Johnston-PI), and the CREST-2 registry and imaging core (UMB, Lal). SCANR 3.0 continues to have all of the excellent qualities that made SCANR a strong contributor to the Stroke Net network during the first two cycles: pediatric stroke and stroke rehabilitation, patient populations and innovative recruitment practices for health disparities research, and the link to the NINDS Intramural Stroke Program. UVA is a high-performing site for acute treatment and prevention trials, and provides expertise in biomarkers, genetics, and prehospital research. SCANR includes the first and highest enrolling site in VERIFY (MWHC) and the first site new to TMS to enroll in VERIFY (UVA). Our Virginia, DC, Maryland range makes SCANR a truly regional Coordinating Center. SCANR investigators serve on national Stroke Net steering committees and cores, and our Participant Recruitment and Retention Core (PRRO Core) has played a leadership role in the Stroke Net network. Our former Stroke Net fellows have diverse clinical backgrounds and all are currently engaged in research, including several serving as site PIs on Stroke Net studies. Each of our Stroke Net fellows subsequently successfully competed for external funding. This training joins strong multidisciplinary clinical and research expertise in stroke with much experience in research and career development of clinician scientists. In SCANR 3.0 we will expand our training and mentorship programs to support career and professional development of Stroke Net program managers and clinical research coordinators within our system and nationally to increase opportunities, enhance recognition, allow professional identity development, and deepen engagement/improve retention.
