Goal #7:  Training and career support programs for translational scientists

<a href="https://med.umn.edu/bio/emil-lou" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Emil Lou</a>, M.D., Ph.D., has been named to the <a href="https://time.com/collections/time100-health-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2026 TIME100 Health List</a> of the world’s most influential health leaders, an honor that recognizes individuals driving major advances in medicine and science. He has longstanding ties to the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of Minnesota through both its scholar and mentoring programs.&nbsp;Dr. Lou began his CTSI involvement as an awardee in the <a href="https://ctsi.umn.edu/training/faculty/k12-scholars-career-development-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KL2 Scholars Career Development Program</a>, where he received early career support for his research. He has since remained engaged with CTSI by serving as a mentor to trainees in the TL1 program (now known as the <a href="https://ctsi.umn.edu/training/postdocs/ctsi-t32-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">T32 Program</a>) and the <a href="https://ctsi.umn.edu/training/postdocs/translational-research-development-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Translational Research Development Program</a>, helping support the development of future translational researchers.&nbsp;<h2>Celebrated nationally for advancing cancer research</h2>The <a href="https://time.com/collections/time100-health-2026/7362541/emil-lou-and-emma-dimery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TIME100 Health List recognized Dr. Lou</a> for his innovative approach to translational research in oncology. He led a first-in-human clinical trial that used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to help the immune system target advanced gastrointestinal cancers.Published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147020452500083X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Lancet Oncology</a>, the study points to a promising new direction for patients with late-stage disease. It also underscores the importance of translational science that bridges laboratory discovery and clinical care.

University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute

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University of Minnesota

Emil Lou, M.D., Ph.D., has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List, which recognized his innovative approach to translational research in oncology. Dr. Lou, a professor with the University of Minnesota, led a first-in-human clinical trial that used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to help the immune system target advanced gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. Lou has longstanding ties to the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Minnesota, where he received early-career support for his research through the KL2 Scholars Career Development Program.

Former KL2 Scholar Named to TIME100 Health List

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Goal #2: Promote partnerships and collaborations

The Ohio State University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) held its Annual Scientific Meeting on February 12, 2026, bringing together a broad and engaged audience from across the university and beyond. Attendees represented 12 colleges, along with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State regional campuses, reflecting the CTSI’s central role in the translational science and research community. Interest in the event was so strong that registration closed nearly a month early after reaching capacity with 328 attendees, exceeding the original target of 250.&nbsp;The depth and breadth of research were evident throughout the day, particularly during the poster sessions. A total of 153 presenters from 12 colleges and Nationwide Children’s Hospital shared their work. To accommodate the high level of participation, two poster sessions were held, creating additional opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and meaningful engagement. The expanded format encouraged conversation across a wide range of topics, including clinical and basic science, community-engaged research, implementation science, and other health initiatives.&nbsp;The meeting was guided by the theme Advancing Health Through Science and Partnerships for a Healthier Future, with a special focus on rural health research, care delivery, and community impact. While rural health was highlighted throughout the program, the agenda reflected the full spectrum of translational science, offering value for investigators at every stage and across a wide range of disciplines.&nbsp;A keynote session on rural health stood out as a defining moment of the day. Attendees were especially moved by the personal perspective shared by John Carl Barba II, M.D., M.P.H., who spoke about growing up in Appalachia and how those experiences shaped his path and passion for improving rural health outcomes. He was joined by Lori Criss, M.S.W., and Electra Paskett, Ph.D., FACE, FAACR, FASCO, who discussed their leadership and research focused on advancing health in rural communities. The combination of lived experience and scientific expertise resonated strongly with attendees and was widely described as one of the most impactful sessions of the meeting.&nbsp;A special session on science communication added a different kind of energy to the day. Sara Serritella from the Institute for Translational Medicine at the University of Chicago led a high-energy, high-impact discussion on how to communicate research effectively and authentically. Attendees left with practical tips for sharing their work with the public, using social media strategically, building trust with audiences, and positioning their research for long-term success beyond academic settings.&nbsp;The program also featured speed presentations from both early-career and established faculty, offering quick, engaging snapshots of innovative work taking place across campus. These fast-paced sessions highlighted the breadth of translational research underway and gave attendees the opportunity to learn about new ideas, approaches, and potential collaborations in a short amount of time.&nbsp;In the afternoon, a panel discussion focused on work being done in rural communities across Ohio and brought together community advisory board members, local health workers from Appalachian counties, Ohio State Extension professionals who serve all 88 counties in the state, and researchers leading major implementation studies. The discussion highlighted the importance of strong, sustained partnerships and featured work such as the State of Ohio Adversity &amp; Resilience Brain Health Study (SOAR), a first-of-its-kind, multi-generational study examining biological, psychological, and social factors related to mental health. The panel underscored how community-engaged research is driving meaningful change across the state.&nbsp;Feedback from attendees reflected the success of the event. One hundred percent of survey respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the Annual Scientific Meeting, and all indicated they were likely or very likely to attend a CTSI event in the future. Many also shared that the meeting provided valuable opportunities to connect with other researchers and partners, with several noting that they made new connections or began new collaborations as a direct result of attending.&nbsp;Together, the strong turnout, expanded programming and overwhelmingly positive feedback reinforced the CTSI Annual Scientific Meeting as an important space for connection, collaboration, and shared progress toward improving health through science and partnership.

Ohio State University Clinical and Translational Science Institute

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Ohio State University

The Ohio State University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) held its Annual Scientific Meeting on February 12, 2026, bringing together a broad and engaged audience representing 12 colleges, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Ohio State regional campuses, reflecting the CTSI’s central role in the translational science and research community. The meeting was guided by the theme Advancing Health Through Science and Partnerships for a Healthier Future, with a focus on rural health research, care delivery, and community impact. While rural health was highlighted throughout the program, the agenda reflected the full spectrum of translational science, offering value for investigators at every stage and across a wide range of disciplines. Feedback from attendees reinforced the success of the event, fortifying the Annual Scientific Meeting as an important space for connection, collaboration, and shared progress toward improving health through science and partnership.

The Ohio State University CTSI Brings the Scientific Community Together at Annual Scientific Meeting

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Goal #1: Advance clinical and translational science

When Keith Diaz, Ph.D. talks about physical activity, he rarely mentions exercise. The Columbia University behavioral scientist prefers to talk about movement - the kind that happens not in gyms or training plans, but in the quiet, unremarkable minutes that fill our days. As a Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine and Irving Scholar at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Diaz studies how sedentary behavior affects the body’s metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological systems.&nbsp;“We’ve built a world that rewards stillness,” Diaz says. “Our workplaces, our commutes, even our homes - everything is designed around sitting. The question isn’t how to get people to exercise more. It’s how to rebuild the systems that keep us sitting still.”&nbsp;His research helped identify prolonged sitting as a quantifiable risk factor for chronic disease and then was cited within the <a href="https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/PAG_Advisory_Committee_Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Report</a> to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;Unlike most exercise research, his work focuses on what happens between workouts: the long, motionless hours that quietly shape our physiology. Supported by the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Columbia’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hub, Diaz’s work reflects the Institute’s mission to accelerate discoveries into improved health outcomes. The Irving Institute provides Columbia investigators with the mentorship, infrastructure, and specialized research cores needed to translate basic science into clinical and community outcomes - exactly the kind of environment that helped Diaz move his “movement break” concept from the lab to national-level research, health policy, and implementation of new workplace and lifestyle practices.&nbsp;<h3>Redefining the Science of Sitting</h3>Receiving the <a href="https://www.irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/services/irving-scholars-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Irving Scholar Award</a> in 2021 marked a turning point in Diaz’s career. As a junior investigator, he needed the time, mentorship, and infrastructure to generate preliminary data that could anchor an independent research trajectory. The award provided exactly that. With the Irving Institute’s support, Diaz began exploring what he calls “movement breaks” - brief, low-intensity bouts of activity designed to interrupt sedentary time. His <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2023/05000/breaking_up_prolonged_sitting_to_improve.9.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">early experiments</a>, conducted during simulated workdays, revealed a clear pattern: regular, short walks could reverse many of the body’s negative responses to prolonged sitting.&nbsp;Just <a href="https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/rx-prolonged-sitting-five-minute-stroll-every-half-hour" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">five minutes</a> of walking every half hour was enough to stabilize blood sugar, lower blood pressure by four to five points, and dramatically reduce post-meal glucose spikes by nearly 60%. Participants also reported feeling more alert and less fatigued, suggesting that the benefits of movement extend beyond physical health to overall wellbeing.&nbsp;Two Irving Institute resources proved especially critical in ensuring scientific rigor:<a href="https://www.irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/about-us/resources-and-cores/bionutrition-research-core-brc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bionutrition Core</a> – Provided standardized diets and controlled meal timing to eliminate confounding effects from dietary variation.<a href="https://www.irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/about-us/resources-and-cores/biomarkers-core-laboratory-bcl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biomarkers Core</a> – Delivered validated assays and precise sample processing to measure cardiometabolic endpoints such as glucose regulation, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers.&nbsp;These core facilities, paired with Irving Scholar mentorship, allowed Diaz to expand beyond exercise physiology toward a broader socio-ecological model of movement - one that examines not just individual habits, but the systems and spaces that shape them.&nbsp;In 2023 Diaz partnered with National Public Radio’s (NPR's) <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1200611617/one-prescription-for-reversing-the-effects-of-daily-binge-sitting-at-your-desk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Body Electric series</a> to take his research out of the lab and into the everyday lives of their national audience. Working with the show’s producers, he helped design and launch a two-week, real-world movement experiment in which more than 23,000 NPR listeners were encouraged to take frequent short walking breaks during their workdays and log how those interruptions affected their energy, mood, fatigue, and focus.&nbsp;The outcomes showed that people who took regular movement breaks reported improvements in mood, higher energy, reduced fatigue, and greater engagement during the day compared with their usual routines. While the project was not a controlled clinical trial, it provided large-scale, self-reported evidence that people can integrate short bouts of activity into sedentary work patterns and feel tangible benefits, demonstrating how his science can be tested and experienced outside a laboratory setting.&nbsp;“The lab tells us what works physiologically,” Diaz explains. “But the real question is whether people can actually do this in their world of back-to-back meetings and constant screens.” By merging public participation with rigorous data collection, The Body Electric study demonstrated how accessible, community-driven research can extend the reach and relevance of behavioral science.&nbsp;<h3>Systemic Change: Shaping the US Physical Activity Guidelines</h3>Diaz views sedentary behavior not as a personal failing but as a public health challenge. “We have great lab science showing that movement breaks work,” he says. “The harder question is how do we get people to actually do it? How do we design workplaces, schools, and cities that make movement the easy choice?”&nbsp;His current research pushes this work further, contributing data to inform large-scale meta-analysis and shaping the quantitative standards for <a href="https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans</a> issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The aim is clear: move beyond broad advice to define evidence-based thresholds for how often, and for how long, people should interrupt sitting, guiding policy and workplace standards with precision.&nbsp;Ultimately, his work focuses on system-level solutions - rethinking policies, environments, and cultural norms that reinforce stillness. From office layouts to organizational routines, Diaz is advancing an approach to health rooted not in willpower, but in design. His work exemplifies the Irving Institute’s purpose: to equip investigators with the mentorship, infrastructure, and collaborative resources needed to turn promising ideas into measurable advances in human health. Through this support, his research on movement breaks has evolved from a laboratory concept into a growing public health framework, demonstrating how translational science at Columbia can change not just individual behaviors, but the environments that shape them.&nbsp;Diaz offers a piece of advice for early-career researchers:<blockquote>We tend to try and take on everything ourselves - to become masters at everything. The more you leverage existing resources, expertise, and collaboration, the stronger your science will be. The Irving Institute gives you access to all of that. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to use those supports early and often.</blockquote>

Columbia University's Clinical and Translational Science Award

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Columbia University Health Sciences

Dr. Keith Diaz, Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, studies sedentary behavior and its effects on metabolic and cardiovascular health. Supported by the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research - Columbia's CTSA hub - through the Irving Scholar Award, Bionutrition Core, and Biomarkers Core, his research demonstrates that five-minute walking breaks every 30 minutes can stabilize blood glucose, lower blood pressure, and reduce post-meal glucose spikes by nearly 60%. His findings were cited in the 2018 US Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report to HHS and continue to inform national Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. A partnership with NPR's Body Electric series engaged over 23,000 participants, extending this science into real-world settings. This work reflects the Irving Institute's mission to translate laboratory discoveries into clinical, community, and policy outcomes.

Built to Move: Redefining Everyday Health

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Former KL2 Scholar Named to TIME100 Health List

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Celebrated nationally for advancing cancer research