January 2026, Issue 2 | CTSC Newsletter



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Happy New Year!

As we reflect on the challenges of 2025, we enter 2026 energized and excited for the opportunities ahead. This year, the CTSC will place a strategic emphasis on rural health innovation and the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence to improve regional health outcomes. A primary focus is the 2026 Themed Pilot program, "Timely Access to Innovations in Health Outcomes for Rural Ohio," which supports feasibility studies on mobile diagnostics, wearable technologies, and healthcare access in rural communities. To further this mission, we held a Rural Health 4x4 presentation earlier this month to showcase ongoing community initiatives. In May, we will host the CTSC Insight Summit, a full-day symposium dedicated to exploring AI-driven research for chronic diseases. Additionally, there will be many opportunities to apply for funding in 2026 including the $50,000 Annual Pilot Award Program, $10,000 Core Utilization Pilot Program, $7500 Voucher Program and our next Themed Pilot Program which will be announced this Spring. Investigators can utilize many tools for expert guidance ranging from grant development to study design including Resource Utilization Studios, Collaboration Workshops, and our new Recruitment Toolkit releasing in February.

Workforce development and community partnership will also reach new milestones through the inaugural Embedded Scholars Program, which fosters faculty growth in community-engaged research and provides dedicated support for community partners. In March, the third cohort of the ATLAS leadership program will begin intensive sessions on team science and cross-institutional collaboration for associate and full professors. Academic training will be "fully underway" for our newest K12 and T32 scholars, and a Mock Study Section in May will offer investigators a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the grant peer review process. Furthermore, the CTSC will enhance research operations through a Town Hall on Epic tools in February for clinical research and interactive Community Engaged (CE) Studios to facilitate dialogue between researchers and community experts.

A friendly reminder to subscribe to our YouTube channel to rewatch webinars and our Stories of Impact series, share our news with your colleagues and encourage them to become a CTSC member, and cite and submit your publications to PubMed Central when CTSC resources are used!

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:

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) (R35 – Clinical Trial Optional): A single, flexible 5-year award supporting an investigator’s NIGMS mission-aligned research program (no Specific Aims), designed to increase funding stability and flexibility while reducing administrative burden and supporting mentoring. Open to eligible NIGMS-funded investigators, new investigators proposing NIGMS-aligned research, and current MIRA grantees seeking renewal (ESIs must use the ESI MIRA NOFO). Mechanistic clinical trials in NIGMS-supported clinical areas are allowed; Phase I–III efficacy/safety and most multi-site trials are not.

• Next Due Date: Jan 27, 2026 | Expiration: May 27, 2028 | PAR-26-121

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 REDCap Advanced User Webinar:

'External Modules'

Speaker: Sheree Hemphill

Event Details

CTSC Community Engaged (CE) Studios

Convening Webinar

Event Details

CTSC Scientific Writing Open Office Hours

Speaker: Roberto Alers-Velazquez, Ph.D.

CTSC Distinguished Speaker Series

'Network Dynamics of Clinical Behavior Change'

Speaker: Damon Centola, PhD

CME AVAILABLE

CTSC Town Hall Event:

Epic Tools for Clinical Research

Event Details

CTSC Community-Engaged Research

Mentoring Program Speaker

Featuring: Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW

Event Details

International Network on Health and Hepatitis

in Substance Users

Hepatitis C Intervention Symposium

Join us for the CTSC Insight Summit—a full-day event on how AI is transforming health outcomes, with a focus on chronic disease in Northern Ohio. Connect with researchers, clinicians, technologists, policymakers, and community leaders through a keynote, spotlight talks, poster session, and a point–counterpoint debate on AI’s potential to improve rural health, followed by a networking reception.

Save the date by adding this event to your calendar now!

May 20, 2026 8:30AM - 6:00PM

Add to Google • Outlook • iCal • Yahoo

Tinkham Veale University Center, CWRU,11038 Bellflower Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106

View on map

From Auto Shop to ER

CTSC Community Advisory Board (CAB) member Dr. Carl Allamby is featured in Cleveland Magazine’s “Most Interesting People 2026,” highlighting his inspiring journey from running an auto shop for 25 years to graduating from medical school at 47 and becoming an emergency medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic. The article traces how a pivotal biology class reignited his childhood dream, the decade-long path of selling his business and returning to school, and how the empathy and problem-solving he built as a mechanic now translate to caring for patients in the ER.

Read more Dr. Carl Allamby's incredible journey

CTSC Study: What Drives Trial Enrollment

Supported by the CTSC Themed Pilot Award, a study led by Richard Hoehn, MD and Weichuan Dong, PhD, was published in JNCCN examining patient-level predictors of cancer clinical trial enrollment. Linking UH EMR data with LexisNexis SDoH data, the team found financial factors—especially income and wealth-related measures—were the strongest predictors of enrollment, while drive time and other traditional factors were not. Enrollment disparities observed in unadjusted analyses were reduced after accounting for income, highlighting financial barriers as a key target for improving fairness in access.

Learn more about Drs. Hoehn and Wongs study on trial enrollment

Ian Neeland Named Physician of the Year

Congratulations to co-lead of the CTSC Pilot Program and CTS Research Program, Ian J. Neeland, MD, who has been named Bikur Cholim of Cleveland’s Physician of the Year. A nationally recognized cardiologist at the University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, he leads Cardiovascular Prevention and co-directs the Center for Integrated and Novel Approaches in Vascular-Metabolic Disease. Dr. Neeland is known for advancing prevention in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease through his clinical, research, and education efforts, and he also serves as a Bikur Cholim board member and patient advocate.

Measles Outbreak and “Super Flu” Surge

CTSC K12 Scholar and ATLAS Cohort 2 graduate Prakash Ganesh, MD, joined Ideastream Public Media’s Sound of Ideas to discuss Cuyahoga County’s first measles outbreak of 2026 and a rise in influenza A cases dubbed the “super flu.” The segment reported three confirmed pediatric measles cases (and a possible fourth) in one unvaccinated household and underscored that two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective. Ganesh—Medical Director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health—and Amy Edwards, MD (University Hospitals) also addressed how infectious diseases spread and steps families can take to protect themselves.

Learn more about the 2026 measles outbreak in Cuyahoga County

CTSC 101 Roadshow

Invite the CTSC to your department, center, or research group for a brief (10–30 minute) CTSC 101 presentation—easy to add to an existing staff or faculty meeting. We’ll provide an overview of CTSC programs and services, how to stay informed about funding opportunities, and step-by-step guidance for requesting support, with time for a tailored Q&A.

Mock Study Section: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Grant Peer Review



Curious about what happens after you submit a grant application? Join us this May for a half-day Mock Study Section at the Midtown Collaboration Center for an interactive, behind-the-scenes look at the peer review process. Participants will observe and engage in a simulated study section and learn how reviewers evaluate significance, innovation, approach, and overall impact, as well as common strengths and weaknesses that influence scoring. Discover common strengths and weaknesses that influence scoring and enhance your understanding of what makes a successful grant application, learn more on our website.

Accelerate Multi-Site Studies with the Trial Innovation Network (TIN)

Accelerate your multi-site clinical trial with the Trial Innovation Network (TIN). As a member of the national CTSA Consortium, the CTSC Northern Ohio can help investigators overcome common roadblocks and support faster, more streamlined, and cost-efficient study start-up and operations—at no cost to you. Request TIN consultations and resources for protocol development, study operations, regulatory agreements, recruitment planning and feasibility, data coordination/management, site identification, and more.

Informatics Fellowship Celebrates Match Results



The Clinical Informatics Fellowship had an outstanding match year. As Dr. David Kaelber, CTSC Informatics Module co-lead, shared, “We had an AMAZING Clinical Informatics fellowship match this year. We filled 4 of our 5 spots and matched almost 10% (4 of 48) of the entire applicant pool nationally this year!” This exceptional result reflects the strength of the program and the growing momentum around training future leaders in clinical informatics. Explore more Informatics resources on our website.

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