The Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST), a collaborative initiative between the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, has secured a prestigious seven-year Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) valued at $37.2 million from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This monumental funding award underscores the center’s critical role in pioneering translational science, propelling discoveries from laboratory research to clinical application with regional and national impact.
This multimillion-dollar award reflects an integration of federal funding and institutional contributions from both the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children’s, collectively amassed to surpass $65 million in total investment towards the CCTST. Since its establishment in 2005, the CCTST has been a cornerstone for fostering translational research within UC’s Academic Health Center, reflecting nearly two decades of commitment to accelerating scientific breakthroughs that revolutionize patient care.
Translational science endeavors to bridge fundamental research and patient-oriented outcomes, transforming biomedical insights into efficacious diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventive strategies. Over the past years, the CCTST has supported more than 8,000 investigators and trainees, fostering an environment rich in interdisciplinary collaboration and cutting-edge innovation. This extensive network accelerates the journey from bench to bedside, ensuring that scientific advancements translate swiftly and effectively into improved health outcomes.
The recent funding award is more than a financial boost—it is a reaffirmation of the synergistic partnership between two of the region’s foremost medical institutions, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Gregory C. Postel, MD, dean of the College of Medicine and UC’s executive vice president for health affairs, highlights the award’s significance, noting that it will enhance the center’s capacity to mobilize clinical and translational research, deepen community engagement, and address pressing public health challenges with innovative precision.
A key evolution envisioned in this funding cycle is the transformation of the CCTST into an integrated Clinical and Translational Learning System (CTLS). This system aims to streamline the discovery-to-implementation pipeline by fostering an ecosystem where researchers, clinicians, trainees, and community stakeholders collaborate seamlessly. The CTLS framework will harness data analytics, translational methodologies, and educational initiatives to shorten the lag between scientific discovery and clinical application.
The impact of this award extends beyond infrastructural support. Per Dr. Tina Cheng, chief medical officer and chair of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s, the investment underpins the critical infrastructure that sustains high-caliber medical research. This infrastructure facilitates rigorous study designs, robust biostatistical analysis, and effective community-based partnership models—all essential to rendering research findings actionable, lessons that lead to improved health for both pediatric and adult populations.
Strategic priorities for the next seven years include refining research methodologies, enhancing collaborative networks among scientists and community entities, and ensuring rapid dissemination and implementation of innovations. The program’s expansion will entail advanced training curricula for emerging researchers, embedding precision health approaches designed to address complex public health issues, as well as robust development of safe, efficient, and patient-centered research systems.
The CCTST’s unique infrastructure offers an unparalleled platform for interdisciplinary research, augmenting translational efforts across diverse medical disciplines. Brett Kissela, MD, executive vice dean at the UC College of Medicine, emphasizes the center’s national leadership role and its capacity to convert foundational discoveries into tangible therapies and interventions with measurable clinical benefits. This leadership is critical to maintaining the momentum of biomedical innovation in a highly competitive research environment.
Guided by experienced co-directors including Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD, Achala Vagal, MD, and Jeffrey Strawn, MD, the center harnesses a broad coalition of over 40 faculty and staff from both UC and Cincinnati Children’s. Their collective expertise spans biostatistics, radiology, psychiatry, and translational science administration, ensuring a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to research facilitation and grant stewardship.
The co-directors articulate a vision centered on delivering an integrated clinical and translational learning system that empowers all stakeholders—from scientists to community members—to contribute to a dynamic knowledge exchange. This vision fosters resilience in translational pipelines and ensures that scientific advancements truly result in improved lives across demographic boundaries.
In an era where public health concerns demand swift and effective responses, the CCTST stands out as a beacon of innovation and collaboration. Its renewed funding will accelerate vital translational research that targets critical health challenges, embodying the NIH’s mission to make science matter through improved health outcomes and reduced health disparities.
The CCTST’s model of combining cutting-edge research technologies, comprehensive training programs, and extensive community engagement programs sets a standard in biomedical research infrastructure nationwide. Deploying the Clinical and Translational Learning System will reinforce the center’s ability to deliver personalized, precision health interventions powered by data-driven insights, thereby catalyzing a new epoch of medical breakthroughs.
With this renewed seven-year commitment, the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s are positioned to lead the next wave of translational science innovation. Their integrated approach promises significant improvements in clinical trial design, participant recruitment, and data integration across research domains — all crucial to expediting the delivery of novel therapeutic solutions to patients in urgent need.
Subject of Research: Clinical and Translational Science, Biomedical Research Infrastructure, Precision Health, Research Training, Public Health Innovation
Article Title: University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Secure $37.2 Million NIH Award to Propel Clinical and Translational Science into a New Era
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Keywords: Biomedical research funding, Human health
