Fall/Winter 2006 - University of Rochester Medical Center

to lead:
School of Medicine,
with largest NIH
award ever, will
transform research
Translational Science Award (CTSA)
and become part of a national consortium
that will shape the emerging field
of translational science. The School of
Medicine will receive $40 million from
NIH over five years, the largest grant
ever from NIH to the University.
“The University of Rochester and
the School of Medicine increasingly
will be known as one of the places for
conducting clinical and translational
research and for training future investigators
in this field,” said David Guzick,
M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of
Medicine since 2002 and principal investigator
for the Rochester site of the NIH
CTSA. “We share a common vision with
NIH that clinical and translational
science should have an academic home.”
The School of Medicine has
established a Clinical and Translational
Science Institute (CTSI) as a new
structure that will organize, enable and
expand translational research. The goals
of the new Institute include: increased
funds for pilot projects and highlyexperimental
research; enhanced services
and new technology for data management,
computer simulation, biostatistics,
epidemiology, research ethics and
community involvement; additional
faculty training and a new master’s and
doctoral degree programs in clinical and
translational science; and formation of
a network of hospitals and biomedical
research institutions in upstate New York
whose members will collaborate on projects
and share resources.
“For almost a decade, University
leadership has been exploring ways to
build on our strong foundation in clinical
and translational science so as to
complement its ongoing investments in
basic research, and this award is a culmination
of this work,” said Joel Seligman,
University president. “This award places
the University of Rochester in the
vanguard of this emerging field in
research and among an elite group of
universities and research institutions
that will chart the course for others to
follow.”
As one of the first institutions
chosen by NIH, the School of Medicine
will influence the national approach
to clinical and translational science,
actively contributing to the development
of research methods and infrastructure.
Patient & Clinical
Interactions
Education & Career
Development
The establishment of the University of
Rochester CTSI— and the prominence
given to institutions receiving the initial
NIH awards — will make Rochester a
better competitor for future research
projects and for new clinical trials sponsored
by government and industry.
“We will be training and attracting
more researchers who will conduct more
grant-supported research. There will be
a multiplier effect that impacts basic
research, clinical practice and community
outreach,” said Guzick, the CTSI director.
“ In addition, translational research has the
potential to generate intellectual property,
licensing, start-up companies and general
economic development.”
Rochester’s Clinical and Translational Research Institute key five-year efforts
Evaluation
Upstate Network
Design, Biostatistics
& Ethics
Regulatory Support
Pilot Studies
Translational
Technology
Biomedical
Informatics
Community
Engagement
Novel Translation
Methodologies
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