Banner Health Research

Banner Health Research
Name	Banner Health Research
Type	Nonprofit research division
Headquarters	Phoenix, Arizona
Formation	1990s
Parent organization	Banner Health

Banner Health Research is the clinical research enterprise within Banner Health, a large nonprofit health system based in Phoenix, Arizona. It conducts hospital- and system-based studies across acute care, ambulatory care, and population health settings, partnering with academic centers, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies. The program supports investigator-initiated studies, multicenter trials, device evaluations, and outcomes research to improve patient care and inform clinical practice.

Overview

Banner Health Research operates within a network of hospitals and clinics affiliated with Banner Health, including major facilities in Phoenix, Tucson, and Omaha. It coordinates clinical research activities among academic collaborators such as University of Arizona, Creighton University, University of North Dakota, and regional medical centers like Mayo Clinic affiliates and community hospitals. The unit interacts with national institutions including National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, and private sponsors such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Roche to manage trials and regulatory submissions.

Research Programs and Areas of Focus

Research programs span cardiovascular medicine, oncology, infectious diseases, neurology, critical care, and transplantation. In cardiovascular work, teams study interventions related to American Heart Association guidelines and devices from companies like Medtronic and Boston Scientific. Oncology portfolios include trials in hematology and solid tumors coordinated with groups such as National Cancer Institute consortia and cooperative groups like Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Infectious disease research has included vaccine and therapeutic studies referenced to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and partnerships with industry sponsors including GlaxoSmithKline and Moderna. Neurology projects involve stroke networks linked to American Stroke Association initiatives and collaborating stroke centers such as Barrow Neurological Institute. Critical care and transplantation research connect to Society of Critical Care Medicine and United Network for Organ Sharing activities.

Clinical Trials and Translational Research

Banner Health Research manages phases I–IV clinical trials, device feasibility studies, and pragmatic trials embedded in electronic health records. Trials are registered with databases like ClinicalTrials.gov and often include multicenter collaborations with academic hubs including University of California, San Francisco, Johns Hopkins University, and Cleveland Clinic. Translational efforts emphasize biomarker validation, precision medicine, and implementation science; investigators collaborate with biobanking initiatives and genomics programs at institutions such as Broad Institute and The Translational Genomics Research Institute. Trial portfolios have explored therapies for conditions addressed by specialty societies including American College of Cardiology and American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Research Infrastructure and Partnerships

Infrastructure includes centralized institutional review board coordination, clinical research units, data management cores, and investigational pharmacy services. Banner Health Research leverages informatics platforms compatible with systems used by Epic Systems Corporation and collaborates on data-sharing with consortia like PCORnet and Sentinel Initiative. Academic partnerships extend to medical schools such as University of Arizona College of Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine, and affiliated residency programs accredited by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Industry collaborations have involved companies including AstraZeneca, Novartis, and AbbVie for sponsored research and post-market surveillance.

Ethics, Compliance, and Regulatory Oversight

Ethical review and regulatory compliance are overseen by institutional review boards, compliance offices, and research integrity officers aligned with federal regulations from Department of Health and Human Services and policies from the Office for Human Research Protections. Banner Health Research implements Good Clinical Practice standards consistent with International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines and interacts with the Food and Drug Administration for investigational new drug and device exemption processes. Conflict-of-interest policies and research training mirror frameworks used by academic institutions such as Harvard Medical School and Stanford University School of Medicine.

Funding and Grants

Funding sources include federal grants from agencies like National Institutes of Health institutes (for example National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Cancer Institute), state grants from entities in Arizona and Nebraska, industry-sponsored clinical trial agreements with companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi, and philanthropic contributions from foundations and donor networks similar to Arizona Biomedical Research Commission and regional healthcare foundations. Investigator-initiated grants and cooperative agreements support investigator career development and multicenter protocols in partnership with academic collaborators.

Impact and Notable Contributions

Banner Health Research has contributed to advances in acute care protocols, perioperative medicine, infection control practices, and outcomes measurement adopted across clinical networks. Collaborative trials have influenced guidelines endorsed by specialty organizations like American College of Surgeons, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and American Thoracic Society. Publications arising from Banner-affiliated investigators appear in peer-reviewed journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, The Lancet, and specialty journals tied to societies like Circulation and Journal of Clinical Oncology. The program’s work in translational and pragmatic trials supports regional care improvements in metropolitan areas including Phoenix, Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, and Omaha, Nebraska.

Category:Medical research organizations