• Flexibility: you can have as little or as much support as your project needs each day, week, or month
• Cost Efficiency: you only pay for time spent on your project, not for estimated effort
• Predictable Pricing: you pay the same price regardless of which staff member takes care of your service
• Team Approach: 2-3 staff are trained on every project to ensure seamless coverage if someone is sick or out of the office

In June 2021, Dr. Susanna Naggie, Vice Dean for Clinical Research, and a team of Duke research leaders were awarded a 2.6 million dollar Duke Endowment grant to establish a community-engaged research hub at the Duke Research at Pickett site over the next 3 years.

Goals of the Pickett Community Partnered Research Initiatives

Promoting integrated research communities and enabling innovative partnered approaches to prioritize and solve health problems.

• Increase community engagement (a space for education, outreach, and advisory boards)

• Increase diversity in clinical research populations

•  Support junior investigators (voucher funding from grant)

• Training site for interns from local Durham and North Carolina colleges

Easy Access

Duke Research at Pickett Road is a facility that provides the space, equipment, and staffing needed to meet a variety of clinical research study needs. Located in a former Duke Health clinic building, the site is a welcoming space for research participants with free surface parking, a drive-through entrance, and 30 exam rooms. 

Equipment 

Research at Pickett maintains shared equipment for all study teams using the facility at no additional cost. Gloves and non-surgical face masks are available for all teams using the facility. A standard list of supplies including IV lines, gauzes, bandages, etc. for research participants are included when using the Service Center.

Available Equipment

• Vital signs machines
• Otoscope
• Glucometer
• Dash monitors
• ECG Machine
• Infusion pumps
• Stadiometer
• Scales
• Suction pump
• AED
• Oxygen

Emergency Medications

A supply of emergency medications based on the Duke University Hospital hypersensitivity protocol is available for teams using the facility. The hypersensitivity protocol is available in your MaestroCare build.

Biospecimens 

Samples drawn at the facility may be processed onsite in our BSL2+ laboratory by the Duke Research @ Pickett Core team or sent to the SSCRS BSL2+ laboratory. DUHS Clinical Lab and LabCorp drop boxes are also available on-site.

The Duke Research at Pickett Core Team provides a variety of research services. Whether you need a research location and staff to take care of your whole study, just a space for study visits, or additional support for your research team, we’re here to help!  Some examples of services are included below:

• Coordination related to participant screening and randomization
• Consenting, visit conduct, and study documentation
• Data management and query resolution
• Sample collection, including phlebotomy
• Spanish translation and interpretation services
• Questionnaire administration
• Follow-up phone calls

All studies served by the Research at Pickett Core Team are done in close collaboration with the Investigator’s CRU.

Duke Research at Pickett is a research-only facility.  We cannot provide services for any standard of care activities.

Invoicing

Research at Pickett is a Duke School of Medicine service center with approved rates. CoreResearch@Duke is used for invoicing. Research at Pickett will charge for all actual services performed and our staff record the services provided daily. If any pass-through costs are required, Research at Pickett will request permission to purchase in writing (email is acceptable) with the PI and the grants manager prior to charges being incurred.

Shruti M. Raja, MD, MHS is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Duke University School of Medicine, Medical Director/Interim Faculty Director of the Duke Early Phase Research Unit, the phase 1 and proof-of-concept clinical trial unit, and Medical Director at Research@Pickett. She is an expert in the design and conduct of early phase clinical trials in all therapeutic areas and is a principal investigator on government and industry-funded studies.

Research @ Pickett Policies

Click here to see Research @ Pickett policies

Research @ Pickett Handbook

Click here to access the handbook

Scheduling a Participant Visit

The building is staffed Monday through Friday, 7:30a-4:30p. Subject visits outside of these hours should be arranged through the Clinic Manager.

All visits are subject to room, equipment, and staff availability. Weekday visits can generally be accommodated with 24-hour notice. Weekend, holiday, and after-hours visits require a 4-day notice if you are planning to use Research at Pickett staff members. The Clinic Manager will provide a 2-day notice if we are unable to cover a study visit due to staffing limitations. The building will be closed during holidays concordant with the Investigational Drug Services and Core Processing Labs.

Arrival Instructions for Participants

Duke Research at Pickett Road

3024 Pickett Road

Durham, NC 27705

When you arrive: 

• Park in a numbered parking space
• Call 919-613-1200
• Please wait in your car. A staff member will come to your car to take your temperature and provide a mask
• A staff member will escort you into the building

Originally established in October 2020 by the Duke School of Medicine to enable rapid investigation of COVID 19 outpatient trials, both the facility and staffing service core are now open to researchers and their studies across any therapeutic area. In developing the research facility and team, we have focused on easy and comfortable access for research participants, a diverse workforce, and quality processes. We are dedicated to maintaining a research environment that can optimally service our research and participant communities.

A Timeline of the Research at Pickett Road Facility