University of Iowa Clinical and Translational Science Program

Rosenthal, Gary

Abstract

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) was established to be an integrated home for clinical and translational science and training at the University of lowa (Ul) and to create a catalytic infrastructure for nurturing the broad (T1-T4) spectrum of translational science. Since our funding as a CTSA institution in September 2007, the ICTS has successfully leveraged NIH support with substantial Ul investments ($19.1 million) to accomplish a number of milestones towards five overall goals; 1) support an integrated and inclusive academic infrastructure for clinical and translational science that adds value to other Ul research programs, 2) develop curricula and provide training opportunities in translational science that are tailored to the unique needs of outstanding scholars and research personnel from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, 3) leverage ICTS and institutional resources to provide a unique set of core services that support clinical and translational investigators and that diminish administrative and regulatory barriers, 4) foster new cross-disciplinary collaborations that lead to innovative methods in translational science, high impact research that advances understanding of disease prevention and treatment, and to a more rapid pipeline of products to improve health, and 5) nurture previously established community partnerships and disseminate and implement interventions that result in measurable improvements in health and wellbeing. Activities proposed for the next funding cycle will build on prior accomplishments and will be implemented through nine key functions, including: i) Research Education, Training, and Career Development; ii) Biomedical Informatics; iii) Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design, iv) Clinical Research Resources; v) Community Engagement; vi) Evaluation and Tracking; vii) Novel Clinical and Translational Methodologies; viii) Pilot Studies; and ix) Regulatory Knowledge and Support and Ethics. In addition to the nine key functions, activities will be driven by four cross-cutting Thematic Areas-Genetics, Genomics, and Biorepository Development, Child Health, Comparative Effectiveness Research, and Product Development- which will be responsible for managing activities that will be integrated into different key functions.

Public Health Relevance

This application will support the work of the University of lowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science to translate basic science discoveries into novel treatments and to develop partnerships with community organizations to disseminate best clinical practices that will improve healthcare delivery and population heath in the US. The application will also support the development of interdisciplinary educational programs to train the next generation of clinical and translational scientists.