Research Center Profile:
Cardiology/Vascular Diseases
The Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama currently is a freestanding 6-bed center in a medical office building in the eastern section of Birmingham. The center conducts approximately 1700 clinical studies annually, and about 140 new patients are seen each month.
The state-of-the-art sleep suites offer full polysomnograms for sleep disordered breathing and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)/bilevel titration; multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) for excessive daytime somnolence such as narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnolence; tests for abnormal behaviors during sleep such as rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder.
The Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama has a strong reputation in the state/region due to Dr. G. Vernon Pegram and Dr. Robert Doekel, who have been in sleep medicine for 42 and 29 years, respectively. The center received its sixth 5 year accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2005.
Our Mission:
Our research center has extensive experience conducting Phase II-IV trials in the following therapeutic areas:
Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Cataplexy
Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Restless Leg Syndrome
Periodic Limb Movement Syndrome
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Fibromyalgia
The Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama has worked with many companies over the past years on numerous clinical trials. Some are as follows:
Glaxo-Smith-Kline
Vanda Pharmaceuticals
Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Alza Corporation
Pfizer
Sanofi-Synthelabo
Sanofi-Aventis
Sepracor, Inc.
Cephalon, Inc.
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
Orphan Medical, Inc.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America
Merck Pharmaceuticals
Wyeth-Ayerst
Lorex Pharmaceuticals
Department of Defense
Abbott Laboratories
Merck Foundation
Upjohn Pharmaceuticals
Hoffman-LaRoche
NIH
U.S.A.F.
Phillip-Respironics
All research studies are performed and retained at our state-of-the-art center located in east Birmingham on Montclair Road. At this location are six PSG or "sleep" rooms capable of acquiring completely digital recordings, which are easily converted to European Data Format for viewing by any central scoring site. The Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama has been designated by SANDMAN SLEEP DIAGNOSTICS as a "center of excellence" and they constantly update our equipment to keep up with today's rapidly advancing technology.
We are located a short 7 miles from the Birmingham International Airport and minutes from a variety of shopping and dining experiences in Birmingham's historical southside district.
The center has all the amenities to comfortably accommodate study monitors as well as patients. All the patient rooms have recently been remodel by a local interior decorator and feature all new bedroom furniture, memory foam mattresses, 32 inch HD LCD Cable TV , and private showers. Study monitors appreciate our quiet and spacious conference room with dedicated phone lines and internet access.
G. Vernon Pegram, Jr., Ph.D., ABSM
Robert C. Doekel, Jr., M.D., ABSM
William G. Adams, Jr., M.D.
Lisa Ann Withrow, M.D.
Sheila Pegram RN, CCRC Registered nurse and Certified Clinical Research Coordinator
Brett Berry LPN, RPSGT, CCRC Practical Nurse, Registered sleep technologist, Certified Clinical Research Coordinator
Krager Vaughn, RPSGT, CCRC Registered sleep technologist, Clinical Research Coordinator
Wes Booth, RPSGT, CRC Registered sleep technologist, Clinical Research Coordinator
A number of qualified and registered Sleep Technologists and Registered Respiratory Therapist to run overnight studies as well as titrate PAP.
The Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama is a freestanding practice and not affiliated with any hospital or other organization for the purposes of research. The center is not governed by an internal review board and normally utilizes a central IRB for clinical trials.
For patient recruitment, the Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama relies mostly on it's large database of clinical and research patients. Local print advertisement, radio, TV, and direct mail are also used to reach the densely populated Birmingham metro area residents and workforce.
For additional information, please contact:
Brett Berry, LPN, RPSGT, CCRC bberry@sleepalabama.com
Wes Booth, RPSGT, CRC wbooth@sleepalabama.com
If you are interested in contacting this center to discuss placing a clinical
trial there, please complete and send the email form below. A representative from
the research center will then follow up with you.
