Welcome to the website for the University of Wisconsin Health Sciences Minimal Risk Institutional Review Board.
Our committee has the mandate to review clinical research designated “Minimal Risk.” Minimal Risk, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, means that, “the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.” Therefore, the MR-IRB reviews a broad spectrum of clinical research from surveys, to non-invasive diagnostic evaluations, tissue banks and s imple laboratory test evaluations, to database and medical records research.
Our committee’s task is complex in that we must understand your research goals and facilitate its performance. At the same time, we are charged with protecting human subjects and importantly, for our committee, protecting the privacy of individuals as defined by federal regulations related to HIPAA.
The MR-IRB is a diverse and dedicated group of volunteers who have a broad range of backgrounds and includes clinicians, research scientists, population health scientists, lawyers, community members, research nurses, and administrators. We strive to achieve the proper balance between protecting human subjects and fulfilling our responsibility to the university in helping investigators perform their research, which will hopefully be beneficial.
We have a dedicated staff of experts in our IRB office. The Health Sciences IRB and Minimal Risk IRB function as a unit to facilitate processing of all clinical science research applications. We encourage you to call or e-mail the IRB staff if you have questions about completing the necessary forms for your protocol. Our IRB staff will be pleased to help you determine if your research requires review by one of the Health Sciences IRBs, whether your project may qualify for exemption, or provide assistance in assessing the risk level of your study. They are committed to providing the utmost in service and assistance for all Health Science researchers on campus.
Please let me know if you have suggestions on how our committee can serve your needs better with regard to information, policies, specific protocols or this website.
Sincerely,
Peter S. Rahko, MD, FACP, FACC
Associate Professor of Medicine
Cardiovascular Medicine Section
Department of Medicine
Chair, Minimal Risk Health Sciences Institutional Review Board
Tel:608-263-8838
Email: psr@medicine.wisc.edu