Working groups

Topic-specific expert groups are among the most important coalition resources, created to advise, respond to questions, and highlight issues, all in the name of facilitating clinical research in low-resource settings.

Be it in the form of a working or advisory group, they consist of experts that are working together or available to advise on specific research areas in support of Coalition members and others conducting clinical research on COVID-19.

Questions and issues for groups come from: ​

  • Coalition members and other researchers who submit queries​
  • Issues raised by working group members
  • Other working/advisory groups; cross-cutting issues may be tackled jointly by more than one working group and input invited from other groups.

Group members share tools, documents, and guidance on the website, either in topic-specific pages or in: ​

If you are a researcher who would like to submit a query to one of the groups, please email us with the name of the group in your subject heading.

Submit a query

Groups may:

  • Suggest solutions to common problems
  • Discuss and answer questions submitted by clinical investigators
  • Review and share their opinions on materials and tools
  • Discuss common challenges in their respective fields of expertise and share the outcomes

Transversal research areasGroup description
Clinical EpidemiologySupport and promote the conduct of descriptive and predictive epidemiological studies using individual or aggregated data, and studies that assess the impact of COVID-19 on other diseases and on health systems, as well as health economics studies.
Clinical Management of COVID-19 in Resource-limited SettingsIdentify key unanswered research questions to improve clinical management of COVID-19 in low-resource settings.

Develop clinical management standards adapted to different settings and contexts.

Develop or share existing clinical guidelines adapted to the management of severe patients in low-resource settings.
Clinical Pharmacology and Drug CandidatesProvide advice on clinical pharmacology, drug analysis, and clinical pharmacometrics relevant to COVID-19 clinical trials.
Data Management Provide guidance in best practice and choice of tools to ensure optimal data management and security.
Data SharingProvide best practice for data sharing, e.g., language in consent forms, organization of data, supporting documents, acceptance of terms of data sharing; define the policy for data contributor engagement for secondary use of data (choice of open access or controlled access, etc.).
EthicsSupport investigators with ethics questions in the development, review and/or validation of protocols and informed consent documents in the COVID-19 pandemic context.

Link national ethics review boards with guidance on specific subjects, when requested, including on issues related to data sharing, sampling, and fast-track review.

Provide inputs on community engagement and health care worker protection, where requested.
Maternal, Newborn and Child HealthFacilitate appropriate inclusion of women (pregnant, breastfeeding or, more broadly, of childbearing age) and children in clinical trials of COVID-19 diagnostics, prophylaxis, and therapeutics.

Support use of safety registries for pregnant women in context of COVID-19 treatment.
RegulatoryFacilitate rapid and joint protocol reviews and consideration of relevant import licenses by national regulatory agencies, through joint reviews for clinical approval and registration.
Social ScienceSupport and promote studies examining the social determinants of COVID-19, e.g., behavioural studies, ethical issues.
Study Design and AnalyticsAdvise on the design (including for adaptive studies), conduct, and statistical analysis of COVID-19 studies, including clinical trials.
Supply and Market Dynamics; Medicine Quality Assess production and distribution capacity for medicines and vaccines to inform countries and international agencies, and ensure adequate supply of effective interventions.

Conduct market dynamics analyses and interventions to scale up production.

Monitor and analyse medicine quality reports during the COVID-19 pandemic response, and facilitate dissemination of alerts.
Virology, Immunology and DiagnosticsRegularly update a list, prices, and availability of validated tests (RT-PCR, serology, antigen detection etc.).

Review, adapt, endorse, and/or validate laboratory check lists and SOPs, including sample collection, handling, and analysis.

This working group is transversal, to discuss and provide information on validated diagnostic tools and relevant SOPs, checklists, etc.

Please note that these groups do not replace the normative guidance provided by the World Health Organization or the standard approvals process involving regulatory agencies or ethics review boards. Rather, these groups of experts can provide a sounding board for investigators who have questions while planning or conducting clinical research related to COVID-19, sharing valuable advice based on their knowledge and experience.

If you would like to propose yourself or someone else as an expert member of one of the working or advisory groups, please submit your contact and other information through this form.

 

Join CERCLE
We are looking for dedicated individuals and institutions who are eager to contribute their expertise and commitment to fast-track research in infectious diseases with potential for epidemics and pandemics, as well as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), specific to low-resource settings.

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