Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Institutions

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute is composed of four partnered institutions located in the Los Angeles County:

Visit the Main CTSI Partnership Website: http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/

As a partner of the UCLA-CTSI consortium, CDU has been able to leverage resources to engage in a multitude of activities with other CTSI partners. As a member of this consortium, CDU Investigators are eligible for various funding mechanisms under the CTSI.

ABOUT CTSI

UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute is a dynamic partnership of four institutions: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and the UCLA-Westwood Medical Center. Its mission is to bring UCLA innovations to bear on the greatest health needs of Los Angeles and the nation.

UCLA CTSI is organized into nine program areas that support a wide range of research. CTSI investigators tackle the most pressing challenges in addiction, cancer, disease prevention, heart disease, HIV, mental health, patient safety, stroke, and women’s health.

UCLA CTSI supports this work by providing seed grants, training, and access to specialized expertise or resources in the form of statisticians, computer databases, clinical tests, gene sequencers and other sophisticated, high-tech equipment, and study volunteers.

To achieve its mission, UCLA CTSI has formed collaborations with community organizations, health clinics and schools. These research partnerships ensure that its discoveries are relevant to the health needs of Los Angeles.

UCLA CTSI is one of 60 such institutes to receive a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH created the CTSAs to enhance the translation of basic research into drugs, medical devices, tools and interventions that improve health. Click here for more information about the national CTSA network.

The vision of the UCLA CTSI is a healthier Los Angeles County. Explore UCLA CTSI projects at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/.

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS

http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/programs

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RESEARCH PROGRAM (CERP)
The CERP is the primary link to our diverse Los Angeles community. It builds community capacity to engage in research; communicates research findings; serves as a point of contact for community health care providers and facilitates opportunities for health services and comparative effectiveness research. Activities with CDU include:

  • Collaboration with the Weingart YMCA in South Los Angeles in development to establish a Lifestyle Intervention and Food Education (LIFE) Center.
  • CDU is one of 5 sites that has received collaborative funding from CTSI-LADHS to conduct an innovative program to deliver obesity services at DHS facilities.
  • UCLA has drafted a process to facilitate dissemination and sustainability strategies for the Community Faculty Track at CDU.

Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/cer.

CENTER FOR TRANSLATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES (CTT)
Center for Translational Technologies (CTT) links scientific teams with core technologies. It provides online access to and supervises the use of a diverse array of existing cores; supports development of new technologies; provides personalized counseling to help investigators select and use cores; and facilitates multidisciplinary collaborations and networking.

The voucher system for use of institutionally supported core is quite efficient. Investigators formulate translational projects with an emphasis on innovation. It provides investigators what they need as soon as possible to incentivize investigators to engage in translational research. To date CDU has awarded 7 investigators over $65k in voucher awards.
Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/research/pages/lab-research-facilities

CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY RESEARCH RESOURCES PROGRAM (CCRR)
The CCRR supports and supervises human studies and clinical trials. It builds on our highly successful GCRCs to include flexible, mobile research units that bring scientific teams to our population. It provides bio-nutrition services, clinical research management, and clinical education and training opportunities.
CDU has now partnered with Community-Based Research Institute to foster community research collaboration and resource utilization for clinical trials. This will allow efficiency by sharing resources. Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/ccr

REGULATORY KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT, INDUSTRY RELATIONS, AND RESEARCH ETHICS (REGULATORY)
This program ensures that CTSI research is in full regulatory compliance and meets the highest quality assurance standards. Through its Office of Investigator Services, it functions as a gateway to CTSI investigator resources and provides a one-stop shop for protocol submissions. It actively seeks and encourages industry alliances and offers ethics counseling and research.
Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/reg

BIOINFORMATICS INFORMATION PROGRAM (BIP)
The BIP leverages the CTSI expertise and resources in data management to provide databases, tools, resources and infrastructure for the acquisition, storage and analysis of data. It provides the online infrastructure and support for the Office of Investigator Services.

CDU has taken lead in this area through several activities:

  • Developed a governance process, participation agreement and initial architecture for the Los Angeles Data Resource (LADR) to be launched in the Fall of 2014.
  • Begun development of a process for data transfer from participating organizations.
  • Two CDU Faculty leads (Drs. Ogunyemi and Jenders) have provided training modules in Biomedical Informatics to CTSI partners. Presentations accessible at: http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/education/training/webcastmodules

Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/bip2
BIOSTATISTICS AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY PROGRAM
This Program provides CTSI investigators with the integrated services and biostatistical support. Basic services include (1) contemporary data analysis methodology consultation, implementation, and epidemiology expertise; (2) the best available clinical data management software; (3) study design and grant preparation assistance; and (4) bioinformatics/computational biology data analysis.
Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/bsd

RESEARCH EDUCATION, TRAINING & CAREER DEVELOPMENT (CTSI-ED)
Research Education, Training, and Career Development Program (CTSI-ED) houses most of the CTSI education and training activities. It ensures CTSI trainees acquire the core competencies needed to conduct multidisciplinary research, and to integrate community priorities and input into research across the T1 to T4 spectrum.

Educational workshops have been made available to CDU’s campus via video-conferencing providing opportunities to learn about the latest technological advance in translational research, core services and the CTT Voucher funding mechanism.

As of 2014, two faculty from CDU have obtained KL2 awards from CTSI.
-Dr. Amira Brown (2011): http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/education/pages/kl2-scholars
-Dr. Piwen Wang (2013): http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/education/pages/kl2_scholars_2013

Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/education/pages/award

EVALUATION AND TRACKING PROGRAM
This program helps CTSI leaders set goals, measure outcomes, improve decision-making, and identify opportunities for improvement. Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/et

PILOT AND COLLABORATIVE TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES PROGRAM (PILOT/ COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM)
This program drives research within the UCLA CTSI. It assembles new transdisciplinary teams among senior and junior investigators; provides seed funding; fosters collaborations among basic, clinical and community researchers; provides funding for development of novel methodologies and assists the transition of research from preclinical to Phase I clinical trials; recruits new translational faculty.
Learn more at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/about/pages/pil

CDU SITE CONTACTS
Principal Investigator of CDU Site: Dr. Mayer Davidson
mayerdavidson@cdrewu.edu

Program Manager of the CDU Site: Ms. Maria Diaz-Romero
Phone: 323-357-3691
Email: mariadiazromero@cdrewu.edu

Administrative Contact: Gregory Turner
Email: gregoryturner@cdrewu.edu.

Quicklinks

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