Goal #1: Advance clinical and translational science

In January of 2026, Utah CTSI released their 2025 Impact Report. This booklet entails innovative outcomes of numerous cores, services, and training programs alongside specific case studies from principal investigators using the Translational Science Benefits Model as a foundation. This model showcases the community, policy, economic, and clinical impacts of their research projects.<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12dCMmtHUcSad4e601hN1O3hhoxPgvCtN/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Review Impact Report</a>.

Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute

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University of Utah

In January of 2026, Utah CTSI released their 2025 Impact Report. This booklet entails innovative outcomes of numerous cores, services, and training programs alongside specific case studies from principal investigators using the Translational Science Benefits Model as a foundation. This model showcases the community, policy, economic, and clinical impacts of their research projects.

Utah CTSI Releases 2025 Impact Report 

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Goal #3: Address health needs of populations

Dr. Laurel O’Connor, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School, is rapidly establishing herself as an innovator in community-based healthcare delivery. Through her research, clinical leadership, and educational efforts, Dr. O’Connor is improving outcomes and quality of care for populations with reduced access to traditional healthcare models.&nbsp;Dr. O’Connor’s UMCCTS KL2 Scholar Award (KL2TR001455, 2023-2025) provided rigorous training in implementation science and pragmatic trials that has enabled her leadership of large-scale, multi-center studies. With this training and experience, Dr. O’Connor successfully applied for an individual NIH-funded career development award (K23HL174454), “Paramedic Evaluation for Acute COPD Exacerbation: the PEACE Intervention”, which focuses on improving outcomes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is the third leading cause of mortality in the U.S.; acute exacerbations commonly result in costly hospitalizations and emergency department visits. With additional support from a UMCCTS Pilot Award, Dr. O’Connor and her KL2 mentor Apurv Soni, MD, PhD (UMCCTS TL1 Alum), recently reported the results of their “Healthy at Home” study, an integrated digital monitoring and pulmonary rehabilitation initiative for patients with COPD <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40641609/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(PMID: 40641609,</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39468649/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PMID: 39468649</a>). This multimodal intervention resulted in a 61% decrease in readmission odds within 30 days of hospitalization. The program also demonstrated trends toward fewer emergency department visits and shorter hospital stays, resulting in better quality of life and cost savings for patients and their families. According to Dr. O’Connor, adapting technology and training paramedics for community-based evaluation allows care to reach patients where they live, accelerating treatment and reducing the burden on hospitals. With these insights, Dr. O’Connor recently contributed to a National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) position paper on community paramedicine (CP) and mobile integrated health care (MIH) programs (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40748333/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PMID: 40748333</a>).&nbsp;Dr. O’Connor has recently helped launch a specialized community paramedic program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Worcester County, Massachusetts. She has developed protocols and is educating paramedics about this unique population’s needs, to ensure that stakeholders in settings from group homes to primary care physician offices can confidently participate in this innovative model. A triage phone line and ongoing involvement of UMass Chan medical students bolster the program’s accessibility and sustainability. For this work, Dr. O’Connor was recently recognized by the Worcester Business Journal as a “Champion of Health Care” (<a href="https://wbjournal.com/honoree/champions-of-health-care-mobile-integrated-health-reduces-er-visits-makes-care-more-accessible/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">link to article</a>).&nbsp;In summary, Dr. O’Connor’s work has shown that MIH interventions are not only feasible and safe but also expedite care access and improve clinical outcomes for patients with chronic diseases such as COPD. Through her continued innovative research, dynamic leadership, and commitment to translating evidence into practice, Dr. Laurel O’Connor seeks to drive measurable improvements in the lives of individuals with limited access to health care while training the next generation of compassionate caregivers and scientists.&nbsp;Some parts of this article were created with the assistance of OpenAI GPT, utilizing content from publicly available news stories on the internet, including stories produced by UMass Chan Communications.

University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical and Translational Science

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University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester

Dr. Laurel O’Connor, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UMass Chan, is advancing mobile and community-based health care to improve access for underserved populations. Through UMCCTS KL2 training and subsequent NIH K23 funding, she leads major studies focused on COPD care, including the “Healthy at Home” digital monitoring program, which reduced 30-day readmission odds by 61%. She has contributed to national EMS policy on community paramedicine and helped launch a specialized paramedic program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Worcester County, Massachusetts, earning recognition as a “Champion of Health Care.” Her work demonstrates that mobile integrated health interventions can improve outcomes, reduce healthcare strain, and expand compassionate, evidence-based care.

Innovating Mobile Health Systems to Improve the Health of People with Limited Access to Health Care

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A new three-year research initiative will combine cutting-edge analytical research with direct outreach to the autism community to recommend ways to improve the health of people living with autism.Researchers at Oregon Health &amp; Science University and partnering institutions received a three-year, $4.25 million federal award as part of a $50 million Autism Data Science Initiative launched by the National Institutes of Health in September.Autism prevalence in the United States has increased from fewer than 1 in 2,000 children in the 1970s to about 1 in 31 today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a highly variable condition characterized by challenges in social communication and interaction along with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.People on the autism spectrum vary widely, but the OHSU-led research expects to leverage new analytic tools, including those powered by artificial intelligence, to discern patterns associated with positive health outcomes.The initiative will focus on measures that make a meaningful difference in quality of life, whether it relates to preventative care, sleep, nutrition or particularly effective community support programs.“We can’t say every kid with autism is going to need the same thing,” said co-principal investigator Katharine Zuckerman, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the OHSU School of Medicine.Autism can vary based on sex, age, where a person lives, and severity of the condition.“We’re accounting for heterogeneity of the spectrum knowing that kids are very different,” said co-principal investigator Olivia Lindly, Ph.D., associate professor of health sciences at Northern Arizona University. “We will account for that analytically so we’re not just trying to generalize for everyone.”While many researchers are focused on finding the cause, Zuckerman said this line of research is focused on helping the people with autism in local communities, doctors’ offices and hospitals right now.“Finding out what causes autism is helpful for the future, but our project is focused on helping people right now,” she said. “We’re looking to find out what supports and what services do they need? What programs work and what don’t? Autistic people, their parents and their caregivers have the right to know what works for them.”The research will make use of detailed datasets available through Medicaid claims data and nationwide surveys revealing outcomes for health and well-being. Once researchers have discerned notable signals in the vast array of data, they will involve autistic youths and their caregivers who were recruited to advise the project.“Autistic people are valued members of our community here in Oregon and around the country, and OHSU researchers have been at the forefront of investigating important scientific questions that matter to these families,” said OHSU President Shereef Elnahal, M.D., M.B.A. “We are excited that Dr. Zuckerman has been selected to be part of this important national initiative. Her team’s research shows that, in addition to understanding the complex causes of autism, it is important to understand what works in helping families get their kids to the best outcomes.”The goal is to establish meaningful health outcomes and make recommendations as to how best to achieve them.“We’re going to convene a panel of autistic youth and caregivers and ask them which outcomes do you think are important and can you help us prioritize?” Zuckerman said.Researchers expect to generate a set of recommendations for changes in policy, clinical care and research to improve outcomes.

Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute

A man in a white coat, facing away from the camera, gives a high-five to a young boy sitting on the floor in front of a sofa. A black and white soccer ball and a brown stuffed toy are on the rug between them.

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Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health &amp; Science University (OHSU) has been chosen to lead a major NIH-funded research initiative focused on improving health outcomes for people with autism. This groundbreaking project will use advanced data analysis and direct community engagement to find out what support and services make the biggest difference.

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Utah CTSI Releases 2025 Impact Report

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