I am currently navigating this process. There are several approaches available.
One option is to use an independent (commercial or central) IRB, which is suitable for entities lacking academic affiliation or when the research is industry-led without institutional oversight. The one I am using is Advarra; however, many others have been recommended by my MedTech industry colleagues.
Another option is to coordinate with an academic institution for IRB oversight. For example, Johns Hopkins University Neurology has a division called BIOS that is devoted to this purpose (and the research can be specialty-agnostic). I have collaborated with them on numerous occasions involving non-JHU commercial entities as principal investigators across various IRBs, so I can personally attest to their reliability.
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Regards,
Kemar E. Green, DO, FANA
Rare & Complex Disease Neurologist | Neuro-Ophthalmologist | Oto-Neurologist
Founder & CEO | NeuroAgent AI, Inc. |HazyEyes, Inc.
Affiliate Faculty, JHU Data Science & AI Institute
Former Assistant Professor of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-04-2026 14:22
From: Lulu Bursztyn
Subject: Research in private centres
This is not a neuro-ophthalmology question per se, but I hoping this wise group can still give advice. For those of you who work outside of an academic centre AND do research, how do you obtain ethics approval for research?
Here is the scenario:
In addition to my academic appointment, I also perform cataract surgery at a private centre that has no affiliation with my hospital or university. The patients have no connection with the hospital or university. Their care is exclusively provided at the other centre by me and the team that works there. If I would like to do a research project involving those patients, who oversees the research ethics?
I assume that there are some of you out there who do research, despite not being affiliated with a university. How do you navigate this situation? And yes, I recognize it might be different in Canada vs the US, but any ideas would be helpful. Thanks, as always!
Lulu
Lulu Bursztyn
Comprehensive and neuro-ophthalmology
Western University, London, Ontario
lulu.bursztyn@sjhc.london.on.ca
519-646-6214
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