EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED.The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) proposes a General Clinic Research Center to providecentralized support for clinical/translational research and to expand clinical research training and careerdevelopment programs. A not-for-profit academic medical center, CCF comprises a central campus inCleveland(ineluding the Lerner Research Institute (LRI) and regional health centers) and two integratedmedical campuses in Florida. The rapid growth of basic and translational research over the past 15 yearsled to a structural reorganization of academic activities in 2001. An institutional division was created tofurther develop clinical/translational research programs, and a GCRC was identified as a critical need.Rapid growth in sponsored research together with the strategic importance assigned to clinical researchmakes the proposed GCRC essential for the CCF academic agenda. The 54 submitted projects useoutpatient, inpatient, laboratory, and biostatistical support for patient-oriented research faculty. Theyrepresent a wide cross-section of departments within Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, and LRI Divisions.Collaborative interdisciplinary research is a CCF hallmark; thus we have emphasized translational andcollaborative studies within this GCRC. Areas of investigation include cancer, pulmonary disease,multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, pediatrics, arthritis,collagen vascular disease, inflammation, women's health, pain, septic shock, bioterrorism, andbiomedical engineering. GCRC investigators will benefit from such major CCF support asallocated/renovated space, large programs to fund clinical research pilot projects and clinical investigatorcareer development, and a range of scientific core laboratory facilities, many already in place. The newTissue Processing Laboratory core will standardize and centralize clinical research tissue aquisition,processing, coding, and storage, resulting in substantial cost-efficiency and quality improvements. TheGCRC will serve as a critical focus for expanding the training of clinical investigators using a unique'Mentoring Academy' comprising staff conducting successful clinical research programs. The GCRC iscentral to our vision for expanded clinical research. It was integrated with our new Center for ClinicalResearch, ensuring that the GCRC serves as a catalyst for clinical research growth institution-wide. TheGCRC, the centerpiece of our clinical research expansion, is critical to our goal of excellence in clinical research.
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