DETROIT "" Following a rigorous evaluation process, Wayne State University's research program involving human participants has been renewed for full accreditation by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs Inc. (AAHRPP).

AAHRPP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of the rights and welfare of research participants and the promotion of scientifically meritorious and ethically sound research. AAHRPP accreditation is the "gold seal" for human participant research, requiring its member institutions to reach performance standards that surpass the threshold of state and federal requirements.

Seeking accreditation by AAHRPP is voluntary. "By maintaining full accreditation, the university has demonstrated the highest ethical standards in protecting human research participants," said Hilary Ratner, Ph.D., WSU's vice president for research. "AAHRPP accreditation indicates Wayne's commitment to the most comprehensive protection for human research participants and to the highest quality research. This is a great achievement for Wayne State University."

WSU has more than 3,300 active research studies involving thousands of human research participants. Research volunteers participate in studies in myriad areas, including diagnostic, social and therapeutic programs.

"There are nearly 200 faculty, staff and community members who invest considerable time every month to ensure the well-being of research participants by serving on our institutional review boards and safety committees," said Phil Cunningham, Ph.D., assistant vice president for research compliance. "Their commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of research participants in first-rate research studies, along with smoothing the path to success for our researchers, demonstrates WSU's high ethical standards in research."

A nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., AAHRPP works with organizations that conduct human research to raise the level of protection for research participants. Since AAHRPP's founding in 2001, 243 organizations have received accreditation.

To learn more about AAHRPP, visit www.aahrpp.org. For more information about WSU's human research integrity programs, visit www.irb.wayne.edu.

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Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research institutions in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://www.research.wayne.edu.