Mount Sinai School of Medicine has recently established a Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). It is physically and administratively located on the Mount Sinai Campus and serves as the leader of the institutional CAM program. The commitment of the institution to the mission of the CAM Center is apparent in faculty and new shared resources. MSSM is providing start-up funds for the CAM Center as well as dedicated laboratory space for CAM researchers and an ambulatory clinic for CAM/herbal practitioners. The CAM Center leadership has already applied for two NIA funded Center grants and is actively developing additional proposals as well as clinical service. Dr. Henry Sacks, director of the Thomas C. Chalmers Clinical Trials Unit has been appointed co director for Clinical Research of the CAM Center. Since Dr. Sacks is also co-director of Mount Sinai?s Clinical Research Curriculum Award (K30) he is ideally positioned to lead the development of strong, scientifically rigorous clinical research program, to recruit and mentor junior investigators who wish to pursue careers in CAM research, and to take the lead in developing CAM curriculum for students, house staff and junior faculty. The purpose of the current application is to augment the current and pending resources of the CAM Center provide support for Dr. Sacks 1. to assist CAM investigators throughout the Mount Sinai health system to develop clinical research projects and grant proposals, 2. to develop a CAM curriculum 3. to develop literature synthesis projects (meta-analyses, decision-analyses and cost effectiveness analyses) related to CAM.
