CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL
SCIENCE AWARD

In October, 2010, USF Health submitted a grant to the NIH for a  Clinical & Translational Science Award (CTSA).  The CTSA program supports a national consortium of medical research institutions that are transforming the conduct of biomedical research.   The objectives of the CTSA program are to speed the translation of laboratory discoveries into patient treatments, to engage communities in clinical research and to train a new generation of clinical and translational researchers. 

The 5 strategic goals of the CTSA program are to:

1.       Build national clinical and translational research capability

2.       Provide training and improve career development of clinical and translational scientists

3.       Enhance consortium-wide collaborations

4.       Improve the health of our communities and the nation

5.       Advance T1 translational research* to move basic laboratory discovers and knowledge into clinical testing.

 

*research that seeks to move a basic discovery into a candidate health application

Currently, there are 55 institutions in the CTSA consortium.  When fully implemented, the CTSA consortium will include 60 institutions across the country that will be linked together to advance clinical and translational science.

The principal investigator for USF’s CTSA application is Patricia Emmanuel, MD, Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Co-Director of the CTSI,  and Professor of Pediatrics.  Click here to view the project summary.  This >800 page proposal with a budget of >$21 million represents an enormous effort on the part of the faculty and staff, and commitment on the part of the Dean Klasko and President Genshaft to accelerate and guide the University’s health-related research agenda.

Key Functions and Key Function Leaders

The 10 key functions described in the proposal and the key function leaders are:

1.       Development of Novel Clinical & Translational Methodologies

Dave Morgan, PhD, MS; CEO/Director of the Byrd Alzheimer Institute; Director of the College of Medicine Basic Neuroscience Research Program; Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology

2.       Pilot and Collaborative Translational & Clinical Studies

Kevin Kip, PhD, MSPH, MS; Associate Professor; Executive Director of the USF College of Nursing Research Center

3.       Biomedical Informatics

Rachel Richesson, PhD, MD, MS, PHD; Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Director of Data Standards, Epidemiology Center

4.       Biostatistics and Research Design

Yiliang Zhu, PhD, MS; Professor, College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Director of the COPH Center for Collaborative Research

5.       Comparative-Effectiveness Research and Clinical Research Ethics

Benjamin Djulbegovic, MD, PhD; Professor of Medicine and Oncology; Director of the USF Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Health Outcomes Research; Co-Director of the USF Clinical and Translational Science Institute. 

Co-leaders: Ambuj Kumar, MD, MPH;  Jeffrey Krischer, PhD; SM; Tatjana Bulat, MD; Paul Jacobsen, PhD, MA; and Barry Bercu, MD

6.       Regulatory Knowledge and Support

Phil Marty, PhD, MS; USF Health Office of Research Associate Vice President; Vice Dean, College of Medicine Office of Research; Professor of Public Health

Camille McWhirter, JD; Director of Research Compliance

7.       Participant and Clinical Interactions

Patricia Emmanuel, MD, Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Professor of Pediatrics, Co-Director of USF CTSI

Kristin Wells, PhD; Assistant Professor, Division of Evidence-Based Medicine & Health Outcomes Research

8.       Community Engagement and Research

Julie Baldwin, PhD; Professor and Chair, USF College of Public Health, Department of Community and Family Health

Richard Roetzheim, MD, MSPH; Professor of Family Medicine

9.       Translational Technologies and Resources

Robert Deschenes, PhD, MS; Fred Wright Professor and Chair, USF Department of Molecular Medicine

10.   Research Education, Training and Career Development

Kenneth Zuckerman, MD;  Professor of Oncology and Director of the Scholars in Patient-Oriented Research Program

11.    Tracking and Evaluation

 

John Skvoretz, PhD; Professor of Sociology

Hesborn Wao, PhD; Statistical Data Analyst, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine