February 2026, Issue 1 | CTSC Newsletter



To ensure you're always viewing the entire newsletter, check at the bottom of the email to see if the newsletter has been "clipped" and, if so, click "view entire message". You can also view the full newsletter on the News and Announcements page of our website.

Meet the CTSC Team

Gina Ventre

Assistant Director of Research Concierge Services

Gina Ventre is the Assistant Director of Research Concierge Services for the CTSC of Northern Ohio. A Case Western Reserve University alum, she earned her bachelor’s degree and later completed an MFA in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University. She is also a classically trained pianist and vocalist.

Gina’s professional background spans academic medicine, public service, and community‑focused work. She previously served as a research editor at Cleveland Clinic, supporting clinical research in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery through clear, precise scientific communication. Additionally, Gina worked for the City of Cleveland on initiatives focused on housing, neighborhood stabilization, and community investment.

In her current role, Gina helps investigators navigate CTSC services, connect with collaborators, and translate research needs into clear, actionable pathways through SPARC and other CTSC programs and services. She is often one of the first points of contact for investigators and is especially interested in making research systems easier to navigate, more transparent, and more responsive to users. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, biking, pickleball, and vacations in northern Michigan.

Fun fact: Gina previously sang with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.

CTSA Collaborative & Innovative Acceleration Award (UG3/UH3)

Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award (UG3/UH3 – Clinical Trial Optional): A limited-competition, two-phase cooperative agreement for multi-institutional teams (minimum 3 eligible organizations) to develop and test an innovative solution (UG3) and then disseminate, implement, and evaluate it across the CTSA Consortium and beyond (UH3). Supports projects that improve translational research efficiency and impact (e.g., operational innovations, data science/AI approaches, community partnerships, recruitment innovations, and trial-enabling technologies).

• Deadline Date: June 15, 2026 | Expiration: Oct 20, 2027 | PAR-25-296

Other Funding Opportunities:

NIH Collaborative International Research Project: A multi‑component grant mechanism supporting NIH‑funded international research collaborations between a U.S.-based prime organization and one or more foreign research partners. This opportunity enables linked domestic and independent foreign awards to advance mission‑aligned research across participating NIH Institutes and Centers, leveraging unique global expertise, populations, and resources not readily available in the U.S. Applications must include at least one international project; budgets are flexible and may support clinical trials. Designed for new, renewal, resubmission, and revision applications involving collaborative international science.

• Next Due Date: May 25, 2026 | Expiration: May 8, 2029 | PA‑26‑002

OligoTox Open Data Challenge

The NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has launched the Oligonucleotide Toxicity (OligoTox) Open Data Challenge, a two-phase prize competition to build public, high-quality datasets from in vitro human-based systems to improve AI/in silico models for predicting oligonucleotide therapeutic toxicity. 

Phase 1 submissions are open through February 28, 2026.

Read the Requirements and Registration for the OligoTox Open Data Challenge

CTSC Science Cafe



"Advancing Multiple Sclerosis Research Through

Pragmatic and Multi-Site Clinical Trials"

Speakers: Daniel Ontaneda, MD, PhD & Marisa McGinley, DO

CTSC Community-Engaged Research

Mentoring Program Speaker

"Lessons Learned in Community-Based

Participatory Research"

Featuring: Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW

Event Details

Penn State CTSI Event

"Engaging Rural Communities in Research:

Strategies for Meaningful Engagement"

Featuring: Kristina Brant, PhD & Florence Becot, PhD

Event Details

CTSC Distinguished Speaker Series

'Optimizing HOPE in Clinical & Translational Science'

Speaker: Felicity T. Enders, PhD

Event Details, CME Available

International Network on Health and Hepatitis

in Substance Users

Hepatitis C Intervention Symposium

The CTSC Insight Summit: Artificial Intelligence and Health Outcomes will be held on May 20, 2026, at the Tinkham Veale University Center at CWRU. This full‑day event will examine how AI is transforming health outcomes, with a focus on chronic disease and rural health in Northern Ohio. The summit features a keynote address, spotlight talks, poster presentations, and a point–counterpoint debate on AI‑driven solutions for rural health, concluding with a networking reception. Registration is now open!

For more information on the CTSC Insight Summit

Congratulations to our Core Utilization Pilot Awardees!

Core Utilization Pilot awards are intended to support initial stages of new research projects, with a special emphasis on innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative projects that advance a research project to the point at which it can attract external funding and/or peer-reviewed publications.

Join us in congratulating these investigators on their selected projects which will use elligible Core facilities at our partner institutions. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and are due on the first day of every month. Learn more about our Core Utilization Pilot Program.

T32 Predoctoral Applications are Open!

Applications are now open for the CTSC T32 Predoctoral Mentored Research Training Program, which provides full‑time research training support for CWRU PhD students pursuing clinical and translational research. The one‑year program includes an NIH‑approved stipend, tuition and fees, research support, and travel funds, along with structured training in areas such as team science, community engagement, innovation, and scientific communication.

Applications must be submitted by the trainee’s mentor by March 15, 2026, with decisions announced by April 15, 2026.

VA North East Ohio Fellowship Opportunities — Applications Open

The VA North East Ohio Health System is now recruiting for the next cohort of two paid, full‑time fellowship programs beginning July 1, 2026: the VA Quality Scholars (VAQS) Fellowship and the Health Professions Education, Evaluation, and Research (HPEER) Fellowship. VAQS is a two‑year postdoctoral program for doctorally prepared healthcare professionals focused on healthcare quality improvement, implementation science, and health systems research, while HPEER is a two‑year fellowship for individuals with a master’s degree in a health professions field, emphasizing curriculum design, evaluation, teaching, and research. Both fellowships include a stipend, healthcare benefits, and national collaboration opportunities with fellows across the country.

If interested, please contact the VAQS Faculty Scholar and CTSC Workforce Development

Co-lead, Mary Dolansky, PhD, RN

Mock Study Section:

Understanding Grant Peer Review



Ever wondered how grant applications are evaluated once they’re submitted? Join us at the Midtown Collaboration Center on Friday, May 1, 2026 for a half-day Mock Study Section that demystifies the peer review process. This interactive session will walk participants through a simulated study section, offering insight into how reviewers assess criteria such as significance, innovation, approach, and overall impact. Attendees will gain a practical perspective on common factors that strengthen or weaken grant applications. Visit our website to learn more and register.

Advancing Community‑Engaged Clinical Research

CTSC community partner Delores Collins, PhD, Executive Director of A Vision of Change, is featured in a newly published article in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS) on strengthening clinical trial enrollment by integrating community health workers (CHWs) as research partners. Findings emphasize the value of integrating CHWs throughout the research process, leveraging their community relationships and positioning them as full research team members.

Read the full plan from JCTS

CTSC Announces First Embedded Scholar Pair

The CTSC Community‑Engaged Research Module is pleased to announce its first Embedded Scholar awardees: Wilson Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, and Lori D’Angelo, PhD, Executive Director of Magnolia Clubhouse. Through this program, Dr. Brown will be embedded at Magnolia Clubhouse to build a community‑engaged research partnership focused on psychiatric rehabilitation and community integration for individuals with serious mental illness. Established in 1961, Magnolia Clubhouse follows the Clubhouse model to promote holistic recovery and meaningful community participation. We look forward to the outcomes of this collaboration and its impact on both academic and Cleveland‑based community partners.

Learn more about Community Engaged Research Embedded Scholars Program

Community Health Co‑Lab: Winter 2026

The Community Health Co‑Lab is a two‑session training designed to strengthen community‑academic partnerships through hands‑on Community Engaged Research (CER). Open to community and academic partners planning or continuing CER projects in 2026, the program supports turning research into a meaningful community health impact in Northern Ohio.

Community partners who participate will be compensated. 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through March 1, 2026.

ACTS Membership for Community Members

CTSC community partners are eligible to become members of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS). Community members are able to access ACTS' member benefits, including:

• Discounted registration to the annual Translational Science meeting
• Opportunities to participate in Special Interest Groups and Committees
• Access to the ACTS community platform website, Tradewing
• And more!

To join, community members can create an account on the ACTS website and join under Case Western Reserve University.

Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio

case.edu/medicine/ctsc