I am often asked, “What is the CCTS?” and there is no easy 30-second-elevator-speech. The CCTS supports scientific innovation: facilitating discoveries, developing knowledge, and reshaping practices, all with the shared goal of improving human health and reducing disparities and diseases that disproportionately affect our region. From identifying the next molecular target to first in human Phase I studies, from assessing new drug efficacy to applying such advances to large populations, from the riddle of the genetic code to greater precision in understanding both an individual’s health status and an entire health systems’ worth of data through informatics, and from exploring a community’s needs to finding solutions that enhance health both inside and outside of the hospital setting—the CCTS is committed, across all disciplines, to advance human health through the training of investigators and application of research. Not unlike the blanket made for my daughter by Ms. G, the CCTS weaves the many diverse stakeholders in the scientific process more tightly together, striving for the excellence that results when a true team approach is taken.
How Does CCTS Support Translational Science?
Learning opportunities in learning communities. Through a variety of grants and other programs, the CCTS provides support for the development of young investigators and training for all team members throughout the career arc. Mini-sabbaticals, skill oriented workshops, mentoring and practicums in team building and team science are available through our Training Academy. The TIERS (Translational Investigators and Emerging Research Scholars) program provides beneficial information on career planning and professional development.
Clinical Services. The CCTS provides support for translational studies—not only vouchers to help cover direct costs, but also skilled research professionals who can augment your team, contributing invaluable expertise without the hassle of hiring and training new staff. The Clinical Research Unit (CRU) offers research-trained nursing support for participant encounters and patient care in studies ranging from Phase 1 to cohort assessment. The Sample Processing and Analytic Nexus (SPAN), together with our Biorepository Unit, provide studies with specimen collection, processing and storage in our CAP-certified facility. Through our Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP) we’re able to work across campus in implementing studies while maintaining the highest standards of clinical excellence by offering Good Clinical Practices (GCP) continuing education courses, appropriate for all members of a research team including staff and PIs. Need to design a diet for nutrition-related research? Our Bionutrition Unit’s dieticians and Metabolic Kitchen can work with you throughout the study process, including collection and analysis of your dietary data. Through a partnership with Children’s of Alabama and the UAB Department of Pediatrics, our Child Health Research Unit provides a flexible, child-friendly environment suitable for a wide range of pediatric participants.
Research Collaboration. Research Commons is the CCTS portal for information and opportunities to accelerate your work at any stage, from idea to implementation, publication, and promotion. Collaborative, co-funded pilot studies enable early projects to develop data and momentum. Our Project Panels program generates peer discussion of studies—from concept stage to grant applications with pending deadlines—resulting in friendly “fire” (i.e., NIH review-worthy feedback) to help sharpen your science. We have conducted more than 150 of these panels annually since 2014, and our data indicate the subsequent grant success rate is more than 3 times higher than the current NIH rate. Methodologic rigor and reproducibility is a major emphasis at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and beyond, and our Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Unit is well-equipped to assist investigators with all requisite quantitative study design elements. Working with our Partners at Southern Research and HudsonAlpha, we also help support programs in drug discovery, device development and genomic sciences. Our Informatics team provides a wide array of services in support of biomedical research across the translational spectrum, from analyzing genetic and genomic data to enabling self-service of clinical data queries, as well as a growing capacity for co-development of new data mining and management initiatives.
Community and Partner Engagement. At the center of CCTS community outreach efforts is One Great Community. Neighborhood leaders from across Birmingham have come together to identify shared health challenges and approaches to addressing them. The Community Health Innovation Awards (CHIAs) support projects exploring safety, exercise, and better nutrition, initiatives with the potential for broader applicability throughout the Deep South region and possibly beyond. The foundation of both our community and more academically-based efforts in biomedical research is our Partner Network. Spanning 11 academic institutions in three Deep South states (Ala., Miss., La.), our regional partnership is the heart of the CCTS, providing the synergy and scale that enable us to serve our populations, even as it makes us more competitive for research funding.
Come join us. There’s a lot going on in translational science, and it takes the proverbial village for research to make a meaningful difference in clinical care and population health. I have learned, like the chain stitches in a finely crocheted blanket, we are stronger working closely together than apart. You’ll find us on the web and in person at the Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Sciences (PCAMS), next to the Kracke Building and across from the Dental School. Give us call, send us an email or stop by for one of our clinics, workshops or monthly Forums (the next one’s coming up on Wednesday, Sept. 7). We look forward to working with you!