News - Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Annual CCTS Bioethics Forum Yields Powerful Conversation

Last Friday’s forum addressed common questions surrounding vaccine hesitancy and scientific mistrust.

CCTS Announces the 2021 Predoctoral Trainees!

The CCTS is pleased to announce the newest cohort for the Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research (TL1) Training Program.

Translational Science 2021 (TS21) is Here: CCTS Engaged in Sharing, Learning

Here is the list of presentations, abstracts, and posters from across the CCTS Partner Network! See the schedule here.

Translational Science Misconceptions

In this article Christopher Austin shares the biggest surprise he’s experienced as the director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).

Mining the Genome - Issue 4

Mining the Genome: Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE)

The framework for genomic risk assessment and management for common diseases continues to evolve and Nita Limdi, PharmD, PhD, MSPH, and her team are working to measure its value in preventive healthcare.

Meet the 2021 CCTS Bioethics Forum Panelists

The virtual event will focus on equity and trust for COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination, and features an amazing lineup of experts leading the discussion on March 19th. Learn more about this event and register here.

2020 Year in Review

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting just a few of 2020’s achievements from across each domain of the CCTS.

CCTS Welcomes New CTSTP Cohort

The Clinical and Translational Science Training Program kicked off last week with a diverse cohort of 29 participants across disciplines.

10 Holiday Activities You Can Do During a Pandemic

Wondering how to get in the holiday spirit without gatherings and other traditional activities? This list will help you enjoy the coming days and weeks in a safe, socially-distant way!

Didn't Catch the Grant Proposal Development Academy? Here's What You Missed.

This 6-week, comprehensive overview of how to develop, write, and submit winning grant proposals wrapped up last week, but you can still tune in!

Mining the Genome - Issue 2

This month, we had a chance to discuss the All of Us Research Program with Dr. Korf. The launch of the Research Workbench Beta is driving forward momentum of genomic medicine research and is available to investigators now.

What You Need to Know about Agreements for Sponsored Projects & IRB Approval

Effective October 20, 2020, UAB Policy 005 has been revised to remove the long-standing requirement of IRB approval before UAB executes a research agreement. The revised policy continues to emphasize the responsibility of the UAB Principal Investigator to ensure no human subjects research occurs until the UAB IRB has approved the project. In the past, per Policy 005, OSP was required to hold agreements until IRB approval was obtained. Departmental personnel must take every precaution to ensure that no human subjects research, including patient care activities or accruals, occur before IRB approval.

Details of the revised policy can be found at the UAB policies and procedures library. For questions regarding this policy revision, please contact your OSP officer.

CCTS and UAB Collat School of Business to host “Accelerating Your Research to the Commercialization Stage” on Nov. 18th

Lili M. Portilla, MPA, SBIR/STTR Program Director for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, will be presenting “Accelerating Your Research to the Commercialization Stage – How to Leverage the NIH NCATS Small Business Technology Transfer Funding and Resources". Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect directly with the NIH.

Now Accepting CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program (TL1) Applications

This mentored research experience provides the tools and expertise to thrive as investigators in any setting (e.g., academic medicine, government, pharma). The immersive program provides 12 months of protected time for trainees to develop projects focused on reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. The program provides a stipend and support for tuition, among other benefits.

CCTS Awarded for National Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Program Expansion

The I-Corps@NCATS program will continue to grow in reach, providing even more scientists critical support to help move their discoveries to the marketplace.

Register for the All of Us Researcher Workbench Onboarding Session

The All of Us Researcher Workbench is open for beta testing! Now, approved health researchers may begin using All of Us dataset and tools in studies. There will be an onboarding session on Nov. 4th from 10:30-11:30am via Zoom.
Register now.

Mining the Genome 1.0

The CCTS Digest will begin featuring a monthly column dedicated to the field of genomic medicine, to spotlight efforts and developments underway and to connect CCTS members to research opportunities.

CCTS Partners Participate in the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities

The CEAL program is funded by a $12 million NIH award that supports teams in 11 states, including institutions in the CCTS Partner Network, representing Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, enabling the research of COVID-19 awareness and education, especially among minority populations, and the inclusion of these communities in vaccine and therapeutic clinical trials. Dr. Robert Kimberly, CCTS Director and Co-PI on the Alabama CEAL team says, “We have seen firsthand that COVID-19 disproportionally affects disadvantaged communities. We need inclusive research that represents all of our diverse communities to find treatments and vaccines that are effective for all Americans.” Through the Southern Commonweal, which integrates community engagement efforts across the Partner Network, information exchange has already been set in motion, leading to significant efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

Community Engagement Institute (CEI) 2020 Wrap-Up

With over 200 participants from across the region, this year’s CEI event, Sharing the Torch: Mobilizing Across Generations, was a great success!

CCTS Awarded NIH IMPROVE Supplement

Under the leadership of Dr. Monica Baskin, the CCTS has received an NIH Administrative Supplement to investigate and improve maternal health and pregnancy outcomes.

CCTS Now Accepting Applications for CTSTP 2021

Become a translational thinker and increase your team science skills with our virtual, six-month Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTSTP)! This competitive, career-boosting opportunity is open to grad students, postdocs, and faculty from across the CCTS Partner Network.

CTS Alumnus Anand Iyer, MD, MSPH, Receives Prestigious Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging

The Paul B. Beeson Award supports investigators committed to geriatrics and aging research, in addition to leadership. Only 7-10 are awarded each year from the National Institute of Aging. Anand Iyer, MD, MSPH, is a pulmonologist and intensivist, is UAB’s first recipient of this prestigious award. Iyer says partnerships and pursuits with both the CCTS and COERE (UAB’s Center for Outcomes Research) “played a vital role in my career journey from mentorship, career and research guidance, peer support, and most importantly, provided me an amazing community of cool investigators. I really learned how to do clinical research with these teams.” Through the support of this award, Iyer will continue to help transform care for older adults with chronic lung diseases. Any award of this level would make an impression on an investigator, but the Beeson Award represents something even more for Iyer. “Beyond the direct support for career development and research, the Beeson Award brings full circle a geriatrics arch in my career trajectory that began as an EMSAP (Early Medical School Acceptance Program) and UHP (University Honors Program) student at UAB 15 years ago doing summer research with geriatricians at the Birmingham VAMC and Center for Aging, now Integrated Center for Aging Research. Completing that arch is intangible.”

Check Out Our Newest Web Resource for COVID-19 Vaccine Information

We’ve compiled a list of common questions and answers surrounding vaccines and clinical studies.

Registration is open for the CCTS Grant Proposal Development Academy

This virtual, six-week overview of the ins and outs of developing, writing, and submitting winning grant proposals will be presented by Research Administrators, Faculty, and Funding Agency Program Officers. This opportunity is open to the CCTS Partner Network and is best suited for junior faculty, postdocs, and early-stage investigators.

Join us in congratulating Drs. Eta Berner and George Howard!

Dr. Eta Berner, CCTS Senior Scientist and member of the Center’s Informatics leadership team, was recently named University Professor in the UAB Dept. of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions. In her recommendation for this honor, Dr. Sue Feldman wrote, “Many industries have a phrase for the person to whom the experts go. In music, it is the musician’s musician; in medicine, it is the doctor’s doctor. Eta is the professor’s professor. She tirelessly mentors others, contributes to the field, and thinks of innovative ways to reach students.”

Receiving the honor of Distinguished Professor is Dr. George Howard, in the UAB Dept. of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health. Dr. Howard was founding Director of the CCTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design Unit. “Dr. Howard, with his passion for helping colleagues succeed in their academic goals, established the foundation of the productive multidisciplinary BERD unit we have today. “ –David Redden, PhD, Director, CCTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design (BERD).

Register Today! Spots for this Specific Aims Intensive will fill quickly.

This three-session Intensive, co-hosted by the CCTS Training Academy and UAB School of Nursing, will feature presentations by the UAB SON faculty, followed by workshops providing the guidance needed to create an effective specific aims page.

N3C is Open for Business. Learn How to Get Started.

The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) has created a large, centralized data resource available to the research community to study COVID-19 at a scale and statistical power not possible within any single institution.

UAB Seeks Distributed Informatics Analytics Core (DIAC) Director

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) seeks a Director to oversee its new Distributed Informatics Analytics Core (DIAC), a central group of biomedical informatics analysts.

COVID & Communities: Access, Education, & Testing

The Southern Commonweal integrates community engagement efforts across the CCTS Partner Network, and its members are making every effort to improve health outcomes for those most affected by COVID-19.

Saying Goodbye to Lucy's Coffee and Tea

You submitted some of the wonderful ways Lucy’s was included in your research and career journeys and we’ve enjoyed reading and assembling this tribute to be shared with the Lucy’s community

Morning Coffee Conversations Continue: Concerns and Logistics for Resuming Research at UAB

Take a look at a few of the topics that have been discussed over “Morning Coffee” thus far.

Gearing Up for Reentry: Returning to Clinical Studies

Clinical and research personnel will be the first to embark upon reentry at the CCTS “Hub”. Here are the key guidelines you’ll need to follow, as set forth by the Resumption to Research (R2Ops) Committee.

Meet the CCTS 2020 Pilot Awardees

The CCTS is pleased to announce the 2020 Interdisciplinary Network Pilot Program Awardees.

Working with COVID-19 Biospecimens

With the current halt to all non-essential lab research, it’s no surprise that many investigators are considering new studies related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The CCTS has compiled resources from the Hub, Partner Network, and beyond for navigating the bio-containment standards that come with COVID-19 research.

CCTS Tools That Will Keep You Moving Forward

Need a change of pace this week? Here are six ways to utilize CCTS capacities to reignite your research momentum!

CCTS Forum Recap: Conducting Clinical and Translational Research in the Time of COVID-19

The research playing field looks quite different these days and is evolving quickly; here is what you should know as it currently exists.

Finding the Balance: A Work-From-Home Survival Guide

Start the week with a plan for tackling some of the common work-from-home challenges you might be facing.

Crash Course for Clinical Research: Where to Start & What to Know

Here are the four things you need to know from the clinical research experts who provided key insight during this month’s CCTS Forum.

5th Annual CCTS Bioethics Forum Roundup

Tuskegee University hosted another successful event featuring thoughtful and honest conversation.

Meet One of this Year’s Community Health Innovation Award (CHIA) Winner, Chocolate Milk Mommies

The Founders of Chocolate Milk Mommies employ a community-based approach to tackling reproductive health disparities.

CCTS Welcomes New CTSTP Cohort

The Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTSTP) kicks off another year with 46 new trainees!

Announcing the 2020 TL1 Trainees!

Congratulations to the 2020 CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program cohort!

Calling All Research Teams: U-BRITE 2.0 Launch Day is January 29th!

If you are examining large genomic and clinical data sets, this launch event is for you.

CCTS Research Seminar Series: Common Rule Single IRB Mandate

Here’s what the mandate could mean for your research.

Register Today for the 5th Annual CCTS Bioethics Forum

This year’s forum on February 3rd focuses on the engagement of diverse populations in research, featuring challenges and lessons from five cohort studies.

NIH Representatives Visit the CCTS “Hub”

Drs. Mike Kurilla and Erica Rosemond spent the day learning more about activities across the partner network.

CHIA 2019 Grantees Announced!

CCTS is pleased to announce the grantees of the 7^th Annual Community Health Innovation Awards. These five organizations were awarded funding for creative solutions to “on the ground” health challenges.

Required Training Gets Sweeter during February’s National Launch of Kaizen

Calling all trainees and early career faculty… Rigor, Reproducibility and Transparency (RT2) is required training for F, T, and K grants —secure it alongside others around the country playing a game that yields some sweet (literally) prizes.

CCTS External Advisory Committee Convenes for Annual Meeting

On December 3rd, members of the CCTS External Advisory Committee (EAC) traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to receive updates from across the CCTS Partner Network.

TL1 Program Application Deadline Extended

There is still time to apply for the Predoctural Clinical/Translational Research (TL1) Program—submissions will now be accepted until December 15^th.

CCTS Co-Director James Cimino Receives 2019 Morris F. Collen Award of Excellence

The Morris F. Collen Award of Excellence is presented to an individual whose personal commitment and dedication to medical informatics have made a lasting impression on the field.

EDW Analyst-Supported Services: Complicated Queries Made Simple

After investigators run queries with i2b2 and receive the patient count or defined a cohort they desire, they often lean on EDW analysts to help them acquire deeper-level information.

Meet Dana Rizk, Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Administrative Office

Dana Rizk, MD, has been named the Medical Director for UAB’s Clinical Trials Administrative Office (CTAO). The CTAO oversees the various policies, procedures, systems, and initiatives supporting the clinical trials conducted at UAB. Read on to learn more about her background in clinical research, and why she’s excited for what’s to come.

i2b2: What It Can Do For You

Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) is an NIH-funded scalable informatics framework designed for translational research. Read on to find out what makes it a unique and useful tool for designing and completing clinical studies.

Clinical & Translational Science Training Program Application Deadline Extended

The Request for Applications for this six-month certificate program that provides training in clinical and translational research will remain open until Friday, November 22.

CCTS Launches the ACT Network Enabling Easy, Nationwide Cohort Discovery and Data Sharing

The ACT Network is a real-time informatics platform allowing researchers to explore and validate recruitment feasibility for multi-site clinical studies across the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium. The ACT Network is secure, HIPAA-compliant and IRB-approved, allowing researchers to design and implement data queries across scores of institutions from their own desktop.

Clinical Trials Initiative Town Hall Meetings

The Clinical Trials Initiative Town Hall Meetings have been taking place over the past week and will continue with a discussion on Wednesday, November 6th. All clinical research teams and PIs are invited to learn more about the tools, resources and best practices for the financial management of clinical trials.

Registration Closing Soon! Join us for the CCTS 2nd Annual Translational Training Symposium.

The 2nd Annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium will convene predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early career scholars, as well as their mentors and training grant leaders, from across the CCTS Partner Network for experiential training and career development sessions on translational and design thinking, grant writing, clinical trials, community engagement, and funding opportunities.

Translational Science 2020 Conference: Call for Abstracts Now Open!

More than 1,100 trainees, researchers and federal officers are heading to the nation's capital next spring for the Association for Clinical and Translational Science’s Translational Science 2020 Conference! Registration will open this December, but the call for abstracts is now live.

One-Minute Writing Improvements: Energize Your Words with Active Voice

Sometimes small changes can make all the difference. Improve your science writing with this quick read from Edge for Scholars.

Meet the One Great Community Council Members

The primary mission of the One Great Community Council is to strengthen partnerships with local community organizations and leaders, and to explore novel ways for community members to participate as partners in biomedical research. The council is a broad network of community-based organizations, business, and academic partners, and recently new members have been appointed.

Meet the OGC Council Members.

Ten Tips for Next Generation Interdisciplinary Research

Researcher Rachel Kelly has gleaned advice from interdisciplinary experts from 25 countries and across all continents, combining their tips into one useful list that includes a handy graphic.

Here's How to Add an ORCID to Your NCBI Profile

Several months ago, the NIH, AHRQ, and CDC announced that individuals supported by research training, fellowship, research education, and career development awards would be required to have ORCID iDs beginning in FY 2020 (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-19-109.html for the original notice.)

To add an ORCID to your NCBI Profile, follow these 3 steps or watch this brief video, courtesy of SciENcv, part of My NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

Register for your ORCID at https://orcid.org/register.
Link your ORCID from eRA Commons, SciENcv biosketches, UAB Faculty Profiles, data repositories, and other appropriate professional sites such as LinkedIn or Scopus author IDs.
Submit ORCID on grants, publications, data sets, etc.

Visit the CCTS YouTube Channel for more learning guides designed to support your science.

Join the CCTS Leadership Team to Elevate Clinical and Translational Research to New Heights

With the recent renewal of its NIH award, the CCTS embarks on a new phase – CCTS 3.0 – to elevate platforms for scientific excellence, research partnership, workforce development and community engagement. This ambitious vision for growth and advancement will rely on our dedicated leadership team, with its enthusiasm and tenacity to develop strategic initiatives and facilitate their implementation. To support this growth, the CCTS seeks applications for the position of Deputy Director to expand the CCTS leadership team in the continuing development of clinical and translational investigation at the CCTS Hub at UAB and across the CCTS Partner Network.

So What? Why Your Science Communication Matters & How to Make it Better

Here are ten tips on how to better communicate your science—whether it is with a reporter, community member or science writer.

Meet Our New LEAD Cohort

Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Learn Enhance Advance Drive (LEAD) Cohort! These 16 participants are committed to enhancing their interpersonal and leadership skills. The purpose of the LEAD program is to build a pipeline of future leaders within UAB, the CCTS Hub.

Time is Running Out! Apply for the CCTS Interdisciplinary Network Pilot Program

The CCTS seeks to develop the future translational research workforce in a spirit that fosters collaboration, team science, and innovative discovery. Applicants may apply for up to $60,000 in direct costs, with the CCTS Hub committing up to half. Early Stage Investigators are strongly encouraged to apply by Monday, October 21.

In Case You Missed It: Bioinformatics Round Up

Jake Y. Chen, PhD, Co-Director of CCTS Informatics, presented “Bioinformatics for Single-cell Analysis: A Review of Computational Biology Trends and Application Opportunities” to a full house at a recent Informatics Institute PowerTalk Seminar Series. Those who attended listened as Dr. Chen discussed single-cell RNA sequencing as a revolutionary technology to study the heterogeneity and clonal evolution of cells.

September’s CCTS Lunch & Learn Breaks Attendance Record

More than 200 people attended the quarterly CCTS Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, September 17. The goal of the quarterly CCTS Lunch & Learn is to provide critical guidance on new or changing requirements in support of clinical research. September’s event included updates on OnCore, ClinicalTrials.gov, Compliance, Greenphire, and more. If you missed it, download the presentation slide deck and find the recorded presentation on the CCTS YouTube channel.

Plan to join us for the next CCTS Lunch & Learn on December 10.

CHIA Innovation Workshop 2019

Check out the latest photos from the Community Health Innovation Award's 7th Annual Innovation Workshop, which took place on Saturday, September 28.

CCTS Translational Training Symposium Registration Now Open!

Join the CCTS Partner Network at the second annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium in Gulf Shores, Alabama on November 14-15. This networking and learning opportunity offers grant writing and project manager training, interdisciplinary panel discussions, specific aims workshops, BERD consults, and much more. Reserve your spot today and take advantage of the CCTS room block rate. Registration will close Friday, November 1.

CCTS Accepting Applications for CTSTP 2020

Become a translational thinker and increase your team science skills with our popular six month Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTSTP)! This competitive, career-boosting opportunity is open to grad students, postdocs, and faculty from across the CCTS Partner Network. Apply by 5:00pm, Monday, November 4, 2019.

Broaden Your Career Options with the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical / Translational Research Program

This mentored research experience provides skills that will help equip the curious and creative with the tools and expertise to thrive as investigators in any setting (e.g., academic medicine, government, pharma). The immersive program provides 12 months of protected time for trainees to develop projects focused on reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. The program provides a stipend and support for tuition, among other benefits. Apply by Sunday, December 1, 2019.