Banner Sun Health Research Institute | Phoenix, Arizona

Therapeutic Areas

Cardiology/Vascular Diseases
Neurology
Oncology

Center Information

Marwan Sabbagh, M.D.
Director, Clinical Research
Banner Sun Health Research Institute
10515 W Santa Fe Drive
Sun City, AZ 85351
USA
623-875-6500
623-875-6504 (fax)
marwan.sabbagh@bannerhealth.com
www.shri.org

Currently Enrolling Trials

• ABT-089, an investigational drug for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease
• Home-Based Assessment Study: monitoring cognitive function in individuals without having to visit the doctor's office, a no treatment study
• Phase II - ACC-001 Vaccine treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease, trial study
• Phase II - Assessing the efficacy and safety of a new investigational drug when used together with a stable dose of L-dopa in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease
• Phase II - Determining Mirapex ER efficacy, safety and tolerability in the treatment Parkinson's Disease
• Phase III - Avandia treatment for Alzheimer's disease as a means to reduce inflammation and increase sugar uptake in the brain.
• Phase IV - Alzheimer's Disease Once-a-day Patch Medication, Trial Study
• Prostate Negative Biopsy Trial

Investigator Experience

Marwan N. Sabbagh, MD, FAAN, CCRI

Dr. Marwan Sabbagh is the founding director of the Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research. Opened in 2000, the Center, with Dr. Sabbagh as the principle investigator, has conducted scores of clinical trials for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as prostate cancer and arthritis. Dr. Sabbagh, a board-certified neurologist, received his medical degree from the University of Arizona. He is also the Associate Director of the Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Core Center, a clinical instructor in the Banner Health/St. Joseph's Hospitals Geriatric Fellowship Program, clinical assistant professor of neurosciences at the University of California-San Diego and a visiting scientist in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. Dr. Sabbagh served his residency in neurology at Baylor College of Medicine and a fellowship in geriatric neurology and dementia at the UC-SD School of Medicine. Dr. Sabbagh has also authored the book The Alzheimer’s Answer published by Wiley Press.

Holly Shill, MD

Dr. Holly Shill grew up in Tempe, Arizona. She did her undergraduate work in electrical engineering at University of Arizona in Tucson, followed by four years of medical school there. She completed a neurology residency at Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) in Phoenix, AZ. Following that, she spent three years as a clinical fellow in the Human Motor Control Section at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

Dr. Shill is currently head of the Thomas H. Christopher Center for Parkinson's Research at the Banner Sun Health Research Institute. She devotes 60 percent of her time to treating patients with Parkinson's related movement disorders and 40 percent to research. Dr. Shill's research interests also include developing models to better predict who gets Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's disease related dementia. Dr. Shill actively educates physicians currently enrolled in the Banner Health/St. Joseph's Geriatric Fellowship program and presents informational lectures to the community.

Sandra A Jacobson, MD

Dr. Jacobson is a geriatric neuropsychiatrist. She received her medical degree from the University of Hawaii Manoa School of Medicine. Her postgraduate training led her to the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute for her residency and fellowship. Outside of the clinic she serves as a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. With Dr. Jacobson’s addition to the Research Institute we are interested in participating in clinical trials related to the following areas: geriatric depression, fibromyalgia, anxiety, sleep disorder and other pain-related conditions.

David J. Jacofsky, MD, is the lab head and senior scientist of Banner Sun Health Research Institute-CORE Orthopedic Research Labs. He is an international speaker and respected authority in complex adult joint reconstruction, total joint replacement, traumatology and oncology.

Dr. Jacofsky's career landmarks include highest honors at Lehigh University, valedictorian and magna cum laude at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, orthopedic surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and finally a fellowship in orthopedic oncology and complex adult reconstruction from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. During his medical education he received numerous awards including the 2001 Mayo Scholar award. Dr. Jacofsky is extensively involved with academic medicine. To date, he has 39 peer reviewed publications, 19 book chapters and 1 orthopedic textbook to his credit. He routinely lectures at local, regional, national and international events. He is board certified by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Staff Expertise

Clinical Research Center Staff Expertise

The expertise of our staff reflects the intense focus of our research on a range of diseases including dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, hypertension, orthopedics, arthritis, fibromyalgia and cancer.

In addition, the shared administrative staff at the Institute includes:

• 1 Senior Administrator
• 1 Contracts/Grants Manager
• 1 Regulatory Specialist
• 2 Accountants
• 1 Human Resources Specialist

Patient Demographics

Sun Health Research Institute is located in one of the most senior-populated areas of the nation. An estimated 100,000 residents of the Sun Cities and other retirement communities make up a population that is educated and understands the needs and the importance of research. More than 1,500 have donated their brains to the Institute's Brain Bank, one of the largest repositories for human brain tissue in the country. Hundreds more have volunteered for the many clinical trials at the Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research.

Facility Description

Orthopedic Research is conducted in Sun City West where approximately 2000 square feet allocated to its three branches. The Motion Analysis Lab equipped to provide a detailed biomechanical analysis with sub-millimeter positional accuracy, calculated joint loads, and muscle activity profiles. The biomechanics lab is equipped for conducting tests that monitor the complex movements and properties of cadaveric bone specimens that have been prepared to simulate fracture patterns and an (in)ability to support implanted devices.

Researchers have access to the affiliate Sun Health's latest in medical equipment, including a 16-slice CT scanner, MRI, PET/CT and digital R&F.

• ABT-089, an investigational drug for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease
• Home-Based Assessment Study: monitoring cognitive function in individuals without having to visit the doctor's office, a no treatment study
• Phase II - ACC-001 Vaccine treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease, trial study
• Phase II - Assessing the efficacy and safety of a new investigational drug when used together with a stable dose of L-dopa in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease
• Phase II - Determining Mirapex ER efficacy, safety and tolerability in the treatment Parkinson's Disease
• Phase III - Avandia treatment for Alzheimer's disease as a means to reduce inflammation and increase sugar uptake in the brain.
• Phase IV - Alzheimer's Disease Once-a-day Patch Medication, Trial Study
• Prostate Negative Biopsy Trial

Trials at this Location