Join us for the Translational Impact Summit, a two-day virtual event hosted by the CTSA Translational Impacts Working Group.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=e7mQz0a-AEqXAIHOT_G39pagArhX5xdKkjxXRFQVAIxURENPUFg2WDAzVkVNMEE5T0lYNFNaWFdORC4u&amp;route=shorturl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Today</a>!&nbsp;<ul><li>When: March 2-3, 2026, 11am - 4pm ET</li><li>What: Virtual, two-day event</li><li>Hosted by: CTSA Translational Impacts Working Group</li><li>Audience: CTSA-affiliated faculty, staff, trainees, and community partners</li></ul>&nbsp;Guided by the theme “Driving Translational Science Toward Measurable Impact,” this summit convenes leaders, researchers, and partners across the CTSA consortium to advance our knowledge and shared capacity for translational impact.&nbsp; Through dynamic sessions, attendees will explore innovative frameworks and cross-hub strategies for assessing and communicating impact, while gaining practical tools to embed measurable outcomes in program planning. Designed to foster collaboration and best practices, the summit offers interactive forums, cross-sector insights, and networking opportunities. The summit will showcase examples of translating science into policy and population health and equip participants with actionable strategies for planning, implementing, and disseminating impact-driven research.&nbsp; Whether your expertise lies in evaluation, informatics, community engagement, communications, administration, or clinical research, this is your opportunity to shape the future of translational impact assessment and knowledge translation within the CTSA program.

Translational Impact Summit Driving Translational Science Toward Measurable Impact. Sponsored by CTSA Translational Impact Working Group. March 2 &3, 2026 CTSA CCOS

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The CTSA Translational Impacts Working Group is hosting a two-day virtual event, the Translational Impact Summit. Registration is open now!

Translational Impact Summit

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

<h2>Kickoff Session: January 21, 2026</h2><h3>Topic: Don’t Let Your Research Die in an Ivory Tower</h3>Speaker: Sara Serritella, Director of Communications, Institute for Translational Medicine, University of ChicagoCapture the public’s attention in this high-energy session led by award-winning journalist and lecturer Sara Serritella. As a communications expert, she teaches physicians and researchers how to communicate their science with clarity and energy, ensuring that everyone—not just academics—can benefit from healthcare and scientific advances.<a href="https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/E757jRCYTz6iGtUtZM1TAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the January 21 session here</a><h2>Upcoming Sessions (Titles Subject to Change)</h2>Register for the sessions below now to get these important dates on your calendar. We also invite you to bookmark this page and check back often, as we will update these sessions with final details and any title changes.<h3>February 11, 2026 | Creating a Research Impact Statement</h3>Focus: Mastering the art of crafting compelling impact statements to win funding and convey value to diverse audiences.Speaker: Melissa Throckmorton, MPA (VCU)<a href="https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/Z4X2bSZJSfSYuWkrGuY6sw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the February 11 session here</a><h3>March 18, 2026 | Conveying Research Impact to Investors</h3>Focus: Navigating technology commercialization, industry collaborations, and supporting startups.Speaker: Dr. Ivelina Metcheva (VCU)<a href="https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/7yOrv14uT_GubgbB8J_8qg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the March 18 session here</a><h3>April 8, 2026 | Communicating Research to Impact Policy</h3>Focus: Translating findings into public health outcomes and engaging policymakers to address social and environmental conditions.Speaker: Dr. Steven Woolf, M.D., M.P.H. (VCU)<a href="https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/0jhPi3zrQR6LBem9KzevPw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the April 8 session here</a><h3>May 13, 2026 | Research Impact in the Community</h3>Focus: Strategies for bi-directional community impact, building trust, and ensuring research is responsive to local needs.Speakers: Drs. Elizabeth Chin Prom-Wormley, Melanie K. Bean, and Gretchen N. Neigh (VCU)<a href="https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/i3cRDvGVSWCATvlzbZHscQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the May 13 session here</a><h3>May 27, 2026 | Evaluating Your Research Impact</h3>Focus: Tools and techniques to measure and demonstrate the real-world effects of your work, particularly among vulnerable populations.Speakers: Emily Zimmerman, Ph.D., M.S., M.P.H.; and Maria Thomson, Ph.D.<a href="https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/X2X_gtXNRfuX-gGEifl_HA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the May 27 session here</a>Developing strong communication skills does more than broaden the reach of your research; it creates a “virtuous cycle.” When you effectively generate and share your impact, you invite new partnerships, collaborations, and scientific research that lead to the next generation of discovery.We look forward to seeing you at this transformative series!

Wright Regional Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Graphic advertising upcoming Research Impact Seminar Series

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Virginia Commonwealth University

If you don’t share your research, who will? Groundbreaking work only achieves its full potential when it is shared effectively, allowing it to live outside the lab and change the world. To help scientists bridge the gap between academic study and real-world application, VCU’s Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research is proud to introduce the Research Impact Seminar Series. Running from January through May 2026, this series provides a strategic toolkit to help researchers articulate the value of their work, connect with diverse audiences, and ensure their discoveries make a lasting impact.

VCU’s Wright Center Offers New Series to Help Researchers Communicate Their Impact

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Goal #1: Advance clinical and translational science

With a mission to improve health outcomes, Grace Gombolay, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory, and Pediatric Neurologist at Children’s, is leading national collaborations to advance care for children and adults with rare neuroinflammatory diseases. Her work focuses on conditions where the immune system attacks the brain—such as autoimmune encephalitis, Rasmussen’s encephalitis, and new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE)—which can cause significant neurological and cognitive challenges for patients and their families.Through her formation and leadership of the CONNECT (Conquering Inflammation and Epilepsies ConsorTium) registry and now the NIH-funded&nbsp;<a href="https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11173108" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ARISEN (Autoimmunity, Rasmussen’s, Inflammation &amp; Status Epilepticus research Network)</a>, Dr. Gombolay is transforming how these rare conditions are studied, diagnosed, and treated. Both initiatives bring together institutions across the country to better understand these disorders, identify new biomarkers, and move the field toward clinical trial readiness.How Georgia CTSA Training Fueled Her GrowthDr. Gombolay attributes much of her research foundation to her experience as a Georgia CTSA KL2 Scholar and Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) graduate. The two programs provided complementary skills that shaped her into a confident and methodical investigator.“The&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiactsa.org/training/ms-clinical-research.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MSCR program</a>&nbsp;gave me the research foundation I needed—statistics, methodology, leadership, and clinical trials training,” Gombolay explains. “Those skills have been instrumental in how I think about science and how I approach my patients.” Additionally, the&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiactsa.org/training/kl2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KL2 program</a>&nbsp;further strengthened her grant writing, study design, and collaborative approach. “The grant writing course was transformative. It made me a better scientist, writer, and reviewer. I still use what I learned every time I prepare a proposal.”She also emphasizes the power of mentorship and peer connection within Georgia CTSA. “Having colleagues who were navigating similar challenges made a huge difference. That community inspired me to stay focused, push through setbacks, and keep building collaborations.”From Training to Leadership and Lasting ImpactThe skills and support Dr. Gombolay gained through Georgia CTSA helped her move from an early-career investigator to a nationally recognized leader in rare disease research. Her KL2 project on biomarkers in autoimmune encephalitis evolved into CONNECT—the first multi-center pediatric registry of its kind in the U.S.—which now includes data and biospecimens from over 19 centers.Building on that success, along with Dr. Kristy Murray (Professor of Pediatrics, Vice Chair of Research at Emory, and Chief Research Officer at Children’s), Dr. Gombolay now co-leads ARISEN, a five-year NIH U54 grant through the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network. When preparing the ARISEN proposal, she again partnered with Georgia CTSA to strengthen the mentoring and training components for junior investigators—an element she credits as pivotal to securing the award.“I received a letter of support from Georgia CTSA for the U54 grant,” she remarks. “That collaboration helped us show our commitment to training and career development for early-stage investigators—a key reason we were funded.”Advice for Future Georgia CTSA ScholarsReflecting on her experience, Dr. Gombolay encourages current and future KL2 and MSCR scholars to stay persistent and make the most of the opportunities the programs provide.“My advice is to keep applying, keep learning, and keep building relationships. Research is challenging, but programs like Georgia CTSA give you the structure, mentorship, and community to succeed. The training you gain here continues to influence every step of your career.”The impact of that training extends far beyond her own research. Through CONNECT and ARISEN, Dr. Gombolay has created opportunities for more than 30 investigators to collaborate, publish, and secure their own funding. “Georgia CTSA and NIH support don’t just impact one researcher,” she reflects. “They create a ripple effect—fueling careers, collaborations, and discoveries that will ultimately benefit patients and families for years to come.”

Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance

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Emory University

Grace Gombolay, M.D., M.S., an Emory Professor, Pediatric Neurologist at Children’s and former Georgia CTSA KL2 Scholar, leads national collaborations through the CONNECT registry and the NIH-funded ARISEN network to advance diagnosis and treatment of rare neuroinflammatory diseases. She credits Georgia CTSA training and mentorship for equipping her with the research, grant-writing, and collaborative skills that enabled her transition to a nationally recognized leader whose work is creating lasting impact for patients and investigators alike.

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