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Goal #1: Advance clinical and translational science

The 2023 Fall CTSA Program Annual Meeting took place in Arlington, Virginia from November 6 through November 8, 2023 and was titled “Real World Data (RWD) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Advance Translation.” Topics covered during the meeting included Decentralizing Clinical Trials, AI in Clinical Research, RWD and Real World Evidence, and Training in the Science of Translation. Keynote presentations were delivered by Dr. Andrea Bild and Dr. Renee Wegrzyn from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.&nbsp;During the meeting, approximately 45 trainees and scholars from various CTSA hubs presented posters featuring CTSA Program-sponsored research. The session was designed not only to provide trainees and scholars with a platform to present their work, but also an opportunity to network with CTSA leadership. The goal was to showcase the work of early-career researchers with projects that closely aligned with the meeting theme. &nbsp;&nbsp;The poster session showcased the innovative research being performed by hub scholars and trainees and highlighted their ability to effectively communicate complex ideas in a short period of time. Presenters were scored based on three categories: quality of science, presentation quality, and poster quality. There were approximately 18 CTSA investigators that volunteered to serve as judges and the panel selected six winners. Six additional presenters received honorable mentions. Awardees are listed in alphabetical order.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc.ctsa.io/2023_Poster_Winners_800x450_6b7b6a3b57.jpg"></figure><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc.ctsa.io/2023_Poster_H_Ms_800x451_5d448fc539.jpg"></figure>Congratulations to all our 2023 Poster Awardees! In the coming weeks, the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science will publish an article featuring the poster session and recognize our poster winners and honorable mentions. Keep an eye out for future communications when the article is published early next year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Announcing the 2023 Fall CTSA Program Annual Meeting Poster Session Award Winners

The Texas Regional CTSA Consortium (TRCC) bonds four CTSA hubs nested in the state of Texas: <a href="https://www.uth.edu/ccts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Center&nbsp;</a> <a href="https://www.uth.edu/ccts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) at Houston</a>, the <a href="https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/research/ctsa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UT Southwestern Medical Center in&nbsp;</a> <a href="https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/research/ctsa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dallas,</a> the <a href="https://iims.uthscsa.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS) at UT Health Science Center at San&nbsp;</a> <a href="https://iims.uthscsa.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Antonio</a>, and the <a href="https://its.utmb.edu/welcome/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Institute for Translational Sciences (ITS) at UTMB in Galveston</a>.<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_Annual_Meeting_PIC_1_large_0fe6c8a7d2.jpg"></figure>Picture 1. On October 04, 2023 the CCTS hosted the 11th 2023 Annual TRCC meeting at UTHealth Houston. The event gathered 135 attendees from the four CTSA hubs located in Texas&nbsp;The TRCC came into existence in 2011 as a milestone of regional efforts to create a collaborative research network to advance innovative practices in translational science for the health improvement of the people living in Texas. The first TRCC meeting was held in 2012 and hosted by UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Since then, this event has gathered leadership members, administrative personnel, investigators, trainees/scholars, and community representatives across the Lone Star State on an annual basis except during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021 and 2022).&nbsp;On October 04, 2023, the CCTS hosted the 11th Annual TRCC meeting at UTHealth Houston in Houston. We were privileged to have the NCATS Clinical Innovation Director, Dr. Michael Kurilla, as the guest of honor.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_Annual_Meeting_PIC_2_c7bc9b7d8f.JPG"></figure>Picture 2. The 2023 Annual TRCC meeting’s guest of honor, Dr. Michael Kurilla (NCATS Clinical Innovation Director) with Dr. Robert Clark (IIMS, San Antonio) on his right and Dr. Daniel Karp (CCTS, UTHealth Houston) on his left&nbsp;The Annual meeting had a collaboratively designed, well-executed and productive agenda with built-in networking time. The agenda included talks about “Lessons learned from PAR-21-293,” “Integrating Ethics into the Translational Science,” an inter-institutional T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) trainee competition, a poster session, and break-out sessions including a report-out.<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_annual_Meeting_PIC_3_feebc3f610.jpg"></figure>Picture 3. The Poster Session at the 2023 Annual TRCC meeting gathered TL1 trainees, KL2 scholars, investigators and community members from the four CTSA hubs located in Texas<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_Annual_Meeting_PIC_4_34a0ad5e5d.jpg"></figure>Picture 4. The Workforce Development (WD) breakout session was led by Dr. Heidi Jacobe (UT Southwestern, Dallas) and co-led by Dr. Jonathan Hommel (ITS, Galveston). Other sessions included Dissemination &amp; Implementation (D&amp;I); Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI-A), and Team Science (TS)&nbsp;This in-person meeting created networking opportunities for investigators from the four hubs to establish future collaborations. In addition, the community representative attendees could share their experiences and discuss additional ways to become more involved in the consortium projects such as participating in developing research ideas, reviewing materials related to recruitment of participants, and facilitating exchange of information with their communities.&nbsp;The TRCC hubs deem that to effectively translate scientific discoveries into improvements impacting health for all, researchers must actively engage with the public. Translational research and community interaction are synergistic: involvement of the community enhances the relevance of translational research by unearthing “real world” concerns. Additionally, community-led research is largely empowered by the community’s willingness to actively participate and be part of the research-generated solutions to maximize their impact and adoption. One of the goals of the TRCC is to enhance community engagement, thereby helping to overcome several roadblocks encountered by translational researchers within our region, for example the limited participation in clinical research of some minority communities served by our CTSAs.&nbsp;In keeping with the goal of increasing community engagement and translating discoveries to improve the health of all, the agenda included the T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) Competition. The T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) is an adaptation of the <a href="https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Queensland’s Three Minute Thesis contest</a> in which T trainees or K scholars from three TRCC hubs were challenged to effectively communicate their research projects to a panel of judges, including community representatives and the meeting audience. The T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) competitors were given only 3 minutes to present a summarized version of their work, with focus on a unique aspect of Translational Science connecting their research to lay people.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_Annual_Meeting_PIC_5_150cab7a88.jpg"></figure>Picture 5. T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) Competition winners. Pictured, from left, are Danielle Jamison (1st Place), Melissa Henwood (2nd Place, Zachary Watson (3rd Place), and Pahul Hanjra (People’s Choice)&nbsp;&nbsp;The overall purpose of the T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) Competition was to improve the trainees/scholars’ capacity to effectively communicate complex research projects to a non-scientific audience. Challenging young investigators to “translate” their research and make it more digestible and compelling to the public and community stakeholders furnishes them with a valuable skill: the ability to “talk” to the people they serve; to connect with them and learn their wants, needs and values, and so be able to successfully translate science into practice. The T1-T4 in 3 (minutes) Competition was exceptionally well-received by the community representative judges and attendees.&nbsp;The 2023 Annual TRCC meeting had a great turnout with a 48% increase in attendance compared to the previous year. An anonymous post-meeting survey, which was answered by over 50% of the attendees, authenticated that this event provided an “incredible opportunity to network, collaborate and explore additional areas of research interests.” To see more quotes from attendees at the 2023 Annual TRCC meeting, click <a href="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/Attendee_quotes_2023_TRCC_Meeting_11302023_d38cd5f3f0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. Everything is big in Texas as is the population diversity. We have a <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/texas-population-change-between-census-decade.html#:~:text=Race%20and%20ethnicity%20(White%20alone,%25%2C%20up%20from%2054.9%25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">diversity index of 61.1%</a> and home of over 30 million residents including <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/texas-population-change-between-census-decade.html#:~:text=Race%20and%20ethnicity%20(White%20alone,%25%2C%20up%20from%2054.9%25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">White 61.6%; Black 12.4%; Hispanic 18.7%; and Asian 6%</a>. The Texas Regional CTSA Consortium spotlights community members as key team players along with research investigators in all translational initiatives thus, highlighting the importance of “talking the same language” to successfully “translate” research into improved health outcomes in Texas.<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_Annual_Meeting_PIC_6_9e5f4f64a3.JPG"></figure>Picture 6. TRCC Principal Investigators and Distinguished guests. Pictured, from left, are Dr. Kevin Morano, Dr. David McPherson; Dr. Robert Clark, Dr. Michael Kurilla, Dr. Jiajie Zhang, Mr. Eric Solberg, Dr. Robert Toto, and Dr. Daniel Karp<figure class="image"><img src="https://uploads.ccos-cc-stag.ctsa.io/TRCC_Annual_Meeting_PIC_7_6e1eeac86d.jpg"></figure>Picture 7. Leadership members and Principal Investigators in attendance at the TRCC Annual Meeting. Pictured form left, are Dr. Joya Chandra, Dr. Belinda Reininger, Dr. Maria Fernandez, Dr. Michael Kurilla, Dr. Jiajie Zhang, Dr. Lorna McNeill, Dr. Daniel Karp, Dr. Paula Iaeger, Dr. Melissa Peskin, Dr. Joseph B. McCormick, Dr. Bill Ameredes, Dr. Vanessa Schick, Dr. Sujatha Sridhar, Dr. Jeffrey Frost, Dr. Elmer Bernstam, Dr. Debbie Clegg, Dr. Jarett Berry, Dr. Eric Solberg, Dr. Robert Toto, Dr. Susan Fisher-Hoch&nbsp;&nbsp;Attendee Quotes:<a href="https://uploads.ccos-cc.ctsa.io/Attendee_quotes_2023_TRCC_Meeting_11302023_973a73d0b2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Attendee quotes_2023 TRCC Meeting_11302023.pdf</a><a href="https://uploads.ccos-cc.ctsa.io/Attendee_quotes_2023_TRCC_Meeting_11302023_8cc4923b01.docx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Attendee quotes_2023 TRCC Meeting_11302023.docx</a>

University Of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

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University of Texas Health Science Center

2023 Annual Texas Regional CTSA Consortium Meeting

Goal #5: Provide a national resource for public health needs

For people hospitalized with COVID-19, two new risk-prediction tools, tested in part using the NCATS <a href="https://ncats.nih.gov/n3c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C)</a>, could help clinicians make faster, better treatment decisions. The tools use a patient’s age and five common lab tests to analyze their risk of death more rapidly and accurately.&nbsp;Scientists at Rutgers University reviewed health records from 969 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 from March to May 2020. The researchers used machine learning to examine 77 patient-health variables and find optimal combinations that best predicted severe COVID-19 outcomes…&nbsp;Read the full article <a href="https://ncats.nih.gov/news-events/news/N3C-data-help-validate-two-clinical-tools-to-predict-COVID-19-mortality-risk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

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N3C Data Help Validate Two Clinical Tools to Predict COVID-19 Mortality Risk

Goal #3: Address health disparities 

Congratulations to ITHS Faculty Co-Director of Integrating Special Populations, Tumaini Rucker Coker, M.D., M.B.A., for being elected to the National Academy of Medicine.&nbsp;Dr. Coker is one of three professors at the University of Washington elected to the National Academy of Medicine in recognition of excellence in the fields of health and medicine, along with a commitment to volunteer service. Election to the Academy is considered one of the most prestigious honors in health and medicine…&nbsp;Read the full article <a href="https://www.iths.org/news/iths-faculty-leader-elected-to-national-academy-of-medicine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

University of Washington

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ITHS Faculty Leader Elected to National Academy of Medicine

SC CTSI's Community Engagement core group pioneers a model for trust and collaboration between academia and under-resourced communities. The initiative, based in Nickerson Gardens, addresses healthcare challenges identified through focused listening sessions.&nbsp;In addition to improving clinical care and health outcomes through cutting-edge research, the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) is also committed to addressing the unique healthcare challenges faced by under-resourced communities…&nbsp;Read the full article <a href="https://sc-ctsi.org/news/sc-ctsis-town-hall-in-nickerson-gardens-serves-as-a-catalyst-for-community-collaboration-in-the-pursuit-of-health-equity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

University of Southern California

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SC CTSI's Town Hall in Nickerson Gardens Serves as a Catalyst for Community Collaboration in the Pursuit of Health Equity

Goal #4: Improve clinical research

Returning genetic results to research participants requires thoughtful planning. ICTS Precision Health at Washington University in St. Louis, aims to catalyze genomic research by providing grant review and development services, guidance and resources for genomic researchers and genomics education in the community. <a href="https://icts-precisionhealth.wustl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Precision Health</a> is a component of the <a href="https://icts.wustl.edu/about/structure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences</a>’ Clinical and Translational Science Award, granted by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the NIH…&nbsp;Read the full article <a href="https://icts.wustl.edu/icts-precision-health-team-develops-genomic-return-of-results-service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

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Announcing the 2023 Fall CTSA Program Annual Meeting Poster Session Award Winners

2023 Annual Texas Regional CTSA Consortium Meeting

N3C Data Help Validate Two Clinical Tools to Predict COVID-19 Mortality Risk

ITHS Faculty Leader Elected to National Academy of Medicine

SC CTSI's Town Hall in Nickerson Gardens Serves as a Catalyst for Community Collaboration in the Pursuit of Health Equity

ICTS Precision Health Team Develops Genomic Return of Results Service