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CCTS Digest 9.25 .15 | www.uab.edu/ccts
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Partner Network:
While we invite you to take part in all of our programs, items featuring this icon may be of particular interest. Look for the symbol throughout the Digest. Have news you'd like to share? Send it to: ccts@uab.edu
Action Plan: Turning Big Data Dreams into Reality at the UAB Informatics Institute
UAB CCTS Co-Director James Cimino featured

These days, you can have your genome sequenced for a few thousand dollars, and store it (just barely) on a 100-gigabyte hard drive. There are all kinds of potentially useful data points in that sea of nucleotides. Researchers have identified mutations that increase your risk of colon cancer, and affect your ability to process pain medications, to name two out of thousands and thousands of clinically useful discoveries. But how does that knowledge translate into action at your doctor's office? Do you need accelerated colon cancer screenings? How can you get a permanent warning in your medical record that you won't respond well to opioid drugs?

Call that the "information in" problem, and it's not limited to genetic data. Every few years, the medical literature doubles in size. In 2014, there were 3 million new studies published in cancer alone.

"We've collected all these data and invested all these resources to ultimately help patients," said James Cimino, M.D., director of the Informatics Institute in the UAB School of Medicine and co-director of the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science. "If doctors and nurses aren't able to put that information to use, we have wasted a huge amount of money."

Read the full story at The UAB Mix.

Seminars
Seminars, Symposia and Conferences
Thursday, October 1
"Regulatory Aspects of Building a Biorepository" with Dr. Jeff Edberg and Lauren Tarpley
Noon-1pm
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South

 
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/930891813
You can also dial in using your phone:  (267) 507-0008
Access Code:  930-891-813

Thursday, October 1
Research Methods and Secondary Data Analysis Seminar Series
Featuring Peter Baltrus, PhD "Tracking Disparities Across Time and Space"

11:45am-1:15pm
Speakers begin at noon with a light lunch served or you may bring your own.
Medical Towers 634 and by videoconference connection at your office by request.  

Please RSVP:   dfizer@uabmc.edu and  annsmith@uab.edu by 12pm, Tuesday, before the 1st Thursday in order to be included in the light lunch order; also welcome to bring your lunch. 

Friday, October 2
First Friday Mentoring Lunch
Join the CCTS Training Academy Leadership in an informal lunch setting to discuss mentoring opportunities, challenges, and advantages. Featuring Dr. David Chaplin and Ryan Outman, CCTS Training Academy.

Noon
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South
Please RSVP so we may order lunch.

Tuesday, October 6
7 th Annual Methods Seminar in Outcomes Research
"Big Data and Clinical Informatics to  Support Patient Care and Research"
8 am-noon
The Edge of Chaos, 4 th Floor, Lister Hill Library

Please register for the seminar at  http://patientcenteredmethodsseminar.eventbrite.com.  

Wednesday, October 7
CCTS Forum: Partner Network Research
4:45-6pm
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South


Join the CCTS for hors d'oeuvres, beverages, and a host of presentations on collaborative research being conducted among researchers and institutions in our Southeastern Partner Network. 

Featuring: "Genomic Identification of Biomarkers in Colon Cancer"
Presented by Brian Roberts, PhD,  Senior Scientist
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
 
Marie Kirby, PhD,  Postdoctoral Fellow
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
 
Richard M. Myers, PhD,  Faculty Investigator, Director and President
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
 
C. Mel Wilcox, MD, MPH,  Professor of Medicine,  Director, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology,  University of Alabama at Birmingham
 
and "Cervical Spinal Injury, Constraint Induced Therapy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging"
Thomas Denney, PhD
Ed and Peggy Reynolds Family Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Director, Auburn University MRI Research Center
Auburn University

Edward Taub, MD
Professor of Psychology  
University of Alabama at Birmingham

From cutting edge work cervical spine imaging being conducted at Auburn University, to colonoscopy research at HudsonAlpha, come see the innovative science that our Partner Network is making possible!


Please join us remotely via GoToMeeting: Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/533000725  
You can also dial in using your phone (312) 757-3121 
Access Code: 533-000-725

Thursday, October 8
Professional Skills Development Series
"Designing Pilot Studies"
David Redden, PhD, Chair, Department of Biostatistics
UAB School of Public Health



11am-noon
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South

Attendees will be presented with how to design well focused pilot studies, how to state the aims of a pilot trial, and how to utilize a pilot study in the development of future studies.
 
 

The PSDS program is also available via GoToMeeting. If you cannot join us in PCAMS, please join us from your computer, tablet or smartphone via https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/840329197     
You can also join us by phone. US (long distance): +1 (224) 501-3412   Access Code: 840-329-197
 
Thursday, October 8
Journal Club: Ethics and Research with Alice Howell
12:30-1:30pm
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/930891813
You can also dial in using your phone: (267) 507-0008
Access Code: 
930-891-813


Monday-Friday, October 12-16
"Genetics and Genomics in Clinical Research"  Genomics Immersion Course

8:30 am-12:30pm
Cudworth Hall
1919 University Blvd
Birmingham AL 35233
 
$50- Faculty
$25- Post-Doc
$10- Students
 
This course will review the principles, major technologies, and experimental approaches in genetics and genomics through both lectures and hands-on activities.  Course will be taught by Dept of Genetics and HudsonAlpha faculty.
 
Registration information will follow.  Please save your spot by emailing Shaila Handattu at hande@uab.edu

Friday, October 23
Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance Symposium
8am-1pm
Nursing Building - Auditorium (NB 1028)
1701 University Boulevard

Featuring:  A keynote talk about discovering new compounds to treat SARS and MERS, by the eminent experts in the coronavirus field, Mark Denison (Vanderbilt) and Ralph Baric (UNC-Chapel Hill)
 
Presentations from local ADDA grantees, including:
-David Bedwell and Kim Keeling, about developing high throughput screening assays for diseases that have nonsense mutations (Hurler Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, among others)
-Michael Niederweis, about finding molecules that can induce self-poisoning of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and
-Anupam Agarwal, about targeting heme oxygenase-1 as a new strategy to treat kidney disease

A presentation Rob Jordan from Gilead Sciences, about the discovery and development of a new therapy to treat Ebola 

There will be posters of additional drug discovery projects available for viewing and discussion during the coffee and lunch break
 
Registration is not mandatory, but it would greatly appreciated. Please register by Monday October 19.

Thursday, October 29
"Toward Precision Medicine: Informatics Hurdles and Policies Pending"


Presented by Jessica Tenenbaum, PhD
Associate Director for Bioinformatics, Biomedical Informatics Core
Duke University, Duke Translational Medicine Institute, Durham, NC
 
9-10am
Shelby 515
1825 University Blvd
 
Please register to attend  no later than Monday, 10/26/15.  Light breakfast will be served.
 
Questions? Please contact Dr. James Cimino, Director, Informatics Institute (ciminoj@uab.edu; 205.996.1958)
 
FALL SYMPOSIA

Monday-Wednesday, September 28-30
Immunogenomics 2015
 
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, Ala.
 
The meeting will bring you together with key experts at the intersection of immunology and genomics as they explore the application of genomic technologies to better understand the immune system.
Attend  Immunogenomics 2015 and:
  • Engage in a multi-day program of science talks presented by leading experts in the field of immunogenomics
  • Be a part of the grassroots revolution in the way we approach human health
  • Network with leaders and thinkers at exciting social events
View the program to see the line-up of international speakers who will be discussing their groundbreaking research. Click here to register today.

Special Discounts for UAB to attend Immunogenomics  

Full - Participation Conference Pass - Group Rate Discount - $650 through August 31 or $750 starting September 1.  This full conference pass is for all three days of the conference September 28 - 30.  This pass provides participation in the program including meals, keynote presentations, session talks, access to the posters and exhibits, all socials, and evening events. Use this link to register for the group rate:  
https://support.hudsonalpha.org/immunogenomics-conference-group-registration-page-Talks-Only Benefit
 - $75 per day.  This pass provides access to the talks only on Tuesday or Wednesday of the conference.  If you would like to register for the talks only on both days, the total cost will be $150. This pass does not include food, keynote talks, socials or evening events. Use this link to register for the talks only rate: support.hudsonalpha.org/igc/talks

Wednesday, September 30
This is Research: Faculty Symposium
The Auburn University Hotel & Dixon Conference Center
This is Research Symposia bring researchers and creative scholars together in celebration of their discoveries and innovations. Whether the research is based in arts, sciences, and professional programs, or in developing solutions to meet the needs of society, research is a central component of Auburn University's mission. Each year we hold two symposia - one focused on student research and the other on faculty research. 

The Student Symposium is held each spring semester to celebrate the accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate student research from all colleges and schools of Auburn University and Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM).  Students compete for presentation awards, and current faculty and students, as well as prospective students and employers, have a chance to engage in dialogue with student researchers about their work. 

The Faculty Symposium is held each fall semester in order to connect researchers and creative scholars across disciplines, helping initiate synergies that advance scholarship at Auburn.  The faculty symposium also raises visibility of research at Auburn University and AUM by engaging and informing a diverse internal and external audience.  Beginning in 2016, we will hold a biennial Creative Scholarship Showcase that features the work of creative scholars across diverse disciplines and methods.


Thursday-Friday, October 22-23
Hosted by: UAB Center for Nanoscience Materials and Biointegration
UAB Alumni House and Abroms-Engle Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA)

This third annual summit brings together expertise in a variety of science and engineering disciplines and explores applications of nanotechnology tools and devices in biology and medicine. We have recruited some outstanding speakers from within Alabama and throughout the country (Harvard, UCLA, UNC - Chapel Hill, and University of California -Riverside). Featuring plenary speakers Dr. Paul Weiss, California NanoSystems Institute on "Nanoscience Approaches to Heterogeneity in Biological Sciences" and Dr. Charles Lieber, Harvard University, "Nanoelectric Tools for Brain Science."

Registration Deadline: Sept. 15
For more information contact Charita Cadenhead, (205) 975-8076

Thursday-Friday, October 22-23
UAB Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center-4th Annual Symposium
"Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease"
 
William W. Featheringill Keynote Lecture:
Charles N. Serhan, PhD
Director, Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury
Brigham and Women's Hospital
The Simon Gelman Professor of Anaesthesia (Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology)
Harvard Institutes of Medicine
Professor, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
 
Taking place at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa, Birmingham, AL
Please visit the CCVC website for more information; Registration and Trainee Abstract Submission are Open.

Friday, October 23
Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging
23rd Annual Symposium
8:30am-1pm
Edge of Chaos, Lister Hill Library, 4th Floor

Call for research abstracts:   The Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging requests abstract submissions from faculty members and their trainees for possible oral or poster presentation at this year's Annual Meeting. Abstracts must be on recent aging-related research. Electronic submission deadline: 4pm, Friday, August 21. Send to: Peter Bosworth at email: bosworth@uab.edu.

Friday, November 13
The 10th Annual Research Scientific Retreat
hosted by  UAB Department of Genetics (Heflin Center) in conjunction with HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
UAB Alumni House
Keynote address presented by:

 
Howard Jacob, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Medical Genomics and Chief Medical Genomics Officer
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
 
Accepting abstract submissions (350 words or less for the body of the abstract)
Please E-mail your abstract as a Word document attachment to lwang12@uab.edu  by October 9, 2015

Sunday & Monday, November 15-16
Network of Minority Health Research Investigators (NMRI) South Regional Meeting 
 

Who attends?
* Network of Minority Health Research Investigators (NMRI) members
* Underrepresented minority investigators, including post-graduate doctoral students, who are conducting biomedical research in the fields of:
o diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism
o digestive and liver diseases, nutrition
o kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases.
 
How do I attend?
 T o attend, fill out and submit the Enrollment Form .
 
What happens at the meeting?
* Mentorship
* Poster Presentation
* Scholarly exchange among field leaders
 
Can I submit an abstract for the poster presentation?
Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts. Visit the meeting page  for more information.
 
Questions? Contact Dr.  Alethea Hill, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing and member of the NMRI  at: ahill@southalabama.edu.

UAB Research Orientation Program - a NEW RESEARCH TRAINING OPPORTUNITY for Faculty, Coordinators, Budget & Regulatory Staff

New to the UAB platform of education offerings for research is a program designed for young investigators and research staff who are new to research (possibly within the first 2 months of starting in research).  
 
The program will be a basic review of how to implement a sponsored- or investigator-initiated study including clinical, regulatory and financial aspects. The intent of this program is to provide a basic overview of implementing a study, familiarize attendees with the language, and hopefully provide guidance on avoiding pitfalls when starting out.  This is not an all-encompassing program, but will provide basic tools and some of the necessary language in order to successfully conduct a research study.
 
We encourage new faculty, coordinators, budget and regulatory staff to attend.  
At this time there is no cost for the program.   Click here for more information.

Fourth Thursday of each month 8am - 12noon in PCAMS (1924 7th Avenue S.).
 
Registration is limited, so please REGISTER early by contacting   Dharti Patel :  Dpatel80@uab.edu.

This workshop will provide research staff (study coordinators, billing staff, regulatory coordinators, etc.) with the basics of implementing and managing a clinical trial with emphasis on good clinical practices (GCPs), research compliance, and other key topics. It is recommended for people who are starting out in research careers or those who would like to receive updates on the various UAB departments and programs that are on campus.  The program is provided on the UAB campus twice a year, as well as online.

 Register Now!  
This seven week course will take place Tuesdays on:  October 6, 13, 20, 27 and November 3, 10, 17.  View a PDF of the agenda here.  

We are currently in the process of accepting registration on a first-come, first-served basis.   All classes will be in the  Children's Harbor Building , 4th Floor, Bradley Conference Center in Birmingham, AL. Questions? Contact Sara Davis: 205-934-5316 sadavis@peds.uab.edu 

Biostatistics
BIOSTATISTICS

Mondays
Epidemiology/Biostatistics Clinic in The Edge of Chaos

  

This clinic provides the UAB community access to epidemiology and biostatistics resources.  Available most Mondays, 10am-2pm in The Edge of Chaos (Lister Hill Library, 4th floor).  Check the Edge of Chaos calendar   for confirmation of meeting dates and times. 
 

 

 UAB CCTS Biostatistics Clinic                                                    

Come visit our team of biostatisticians for a one-on-one consultation

Weekly on Wednesdays, 11:30am-1pm

PCAMS Building 1924 7th Avenue South

 

The Biostatistics Clinic is open to all faculty members, post-docs, fellows, residents, and students. Attendees are invited to bring statistical and methodological questions about on-going research projects, projects being planned, manuscripts in progress, responses to peer reviewers, and published articles. They are also invited to bring their laptops. Assistance will be provided by members of the CCTS BERD group. A light lunch is served.  

 

 

BERD Design Consultation Available Today

In support of Pilot & Feasibility Projects, the CCTS is offering design consultation through its Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Division (BERD).  A team of methodologists, including experts in Epidemiology (Gerald McGwin, Russell Griffin), Biostatistics (Robert Oster, David Redden, Leslie McClure, Paul Lin), and Statistical Genetics (Hemant Tiwari, Xiangqin Cui) are available to collaborate in the design of  the pilot proposals as well as in their review.  If other methodological expertise is required in the project design, the BERD will recruit the required expertise from among the network of UAB methodologists.

 

Please contact the BERD and request design consultation by emailing ccts@uab.edu, calling (205) 934-4905 or connecting through Research Commons on the CCTS home page. 

 

Cite the Grant - Featuring New CCTS Grant Number!

We're still celebrating our Clinical and Translational Science Award grant renewal - thank you to all who are involved in making this happen! 
 
Along with the new grant comes a new grant number! As always, if you have utilized CCTS services and resources and are publishing manuscripts, press releases, or other publications/documents related to that work, you'll need to CITE THE GRANT - and our grant number has changed. 

So, out with the old and in with the new:  UL1TR001417

For more information on how to cite the grant, visit: https://www.uab.edu/ccts/cite-the-ccts


UAB Homecoming Week Kicks Off Oct. 4-9
It's more than a week.  It's the excitement you bring and the Blazer pride you share.  Don't miss out on being a part of Homecoming 2015.

This year, the UAB National Alumni Society is excited to be able to have Hoops on the Haasephalt as the featured Homecoming event.  Hoops on the Haasephalt will tip off on Thursday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. on the Campus Green.

Other athletic events that week include:
  • October 4 - Volleyball vs. Southern Miss, 1:00 p.m.
  • October 8 - Hoops on the Haasephalt, 7:00 p.m. - Campus Green
  • October 9 - Women's Soccer vs. Marshall, 7:00 p.m.
  • October 10 - Men's Soccer vs. Florida International, 7:00 p.m.
  • October 11 - Women's Soccer vs. Western Kentucky, 1:00 p.m.
This year, the National Alumni Society will host events throughout the week along with the rest of the UAB community.  We are looking forward to this amazing opportunity to connect with UAB alumni, students, faculty, staff, fans and friends.

The week's annual Building Decoration Competition takes place Tuesday, October 6; judging begins at 11am. Full Schedule of Events.


UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science |   ccts@uab.edu | www.uab.edu/ccts
 Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Sciences
1924 Seventh Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35294