July 2025, Issue 2 | CTSC Newsletter

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Meet the CTSC Team |

Rini Ghosh, MMP

Assistant Director of Health

Research Outcomes and Engagement,

Clinical and Translational

Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio

Born in Toronto, raised in Kolkata, and having started her own family in Boston, Rini Ghosh’s journey has taken her across continents and cultures. Now rooted in the greater Cleveland area, Rini brings a deep curiosity about how public health policy is shaped by history, law, and social context. She is especially interested in how identical policies can produce vastly different outcomes depending on the unique social structures, behaviors, and access within communities—even those just blocks apart.

With post-secondary training in policymaking and nearly a decade of experience teaching undergraduates, Rini is passionate about civic engagement and evidence-based intervention design. Despite her enthusiasm, she has often found the path from research to real-world application to be slow and filled with barriers. This persistent challenge has fueled her desire to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Rini has held leadership roles in both academic and community settings, always gravitating toward collaborative and people-centered work. Her passion for connecting health policy with community needs led her to the CTSC of Northern Ohio, where she now works to make clinical and translational research more responsive to the people it serves. In her free time, Rini enjoys cooking, baking, and listening to podcasts, and lives in Beachwood with her husband, two children, and their dog, Oreo.

Fun Fact: Rini is formally trained in both North Indian classical singing and Kathak, a classical Indian dance form.

'From Research to Real Life' Podcast is Back For Season 2!

Welcome back to Season 2 of "From Research to Real Life," a podcast brought to you by the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio. We’re excited to introduce our new host, Lora Parent, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Research Development. This season, each episode pairs an emerging researcher with a seasoned expert to explore how science is shaped by fresh ideas and experience. Check out the trailer for Season 2 below!

Subscribe and stream all of season 1 on our website or on any of the following platforms:

Watch and subscribe to the video podcast on YouTube!

NIH Simplifies Peer Review Process for Research Grants

The NIH has launched a new, simplified peer review framework for most research project grants submitted after January 25, 2025, aiming to reduce complexity and minimize reputational bias. Initial applications are currently being reviewed under this new system. To ensure consistency, NIH staff and reviewers received extensive training, and resources are now publicly available to help applicants understand the updated review criteria.

NIH Simplified Review Framework

Other Funding Opportunities:

NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01, Clinical Trial Optional) – Supports bold, groundbreaking, and exceptionally innovative research projects with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, transform clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies.
Due date: September 3, 2025 RFA-RM-25-003

Expanding the Target Landscape by Drugging the Undruggable (R21) – Supports early-stage projects developing innovative approaches to modulate “undruggable” targets in challenging human diseases.
Due date: October 17, 2025 PAR-25-442

Explore More NCATS and CTSC Related Funding Opportunities

CTSC Pilot Award Fuels Breakthrough in Sustained-Release Therapy for Pulmonary Fibrosis

This 2021 CTSC Annual Pilot Award study highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. CWRU PhD candidate, Emmanuel Einyat Opolot and colleagues found that polymer microparticles can deliver the antifibrotic drug Nintedanib more effectively, reducing both dosing frequency and inflammation in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Co-author, Amar Desai, PhD, shares, “The CTSC Pilot Award enabled us to collaborate and develop novel sustained-release strategies—our latest work shows that this approach may offer a safer, more durable way to deliver medicines for chronic lung disease.”

Learn how Sustained-Release Therapy is Evolving

Traditional Recruitment Outperforms Online Ads for Study Enrollment

A recent CTSC pilot-funded study led by Dr. Xiao Li and Dr. Wilson Tang, co-lead of the CTSC Resources & Services Module, with support from the CTSC of Northern Ohio, found that traditional methods—like flyers and word-of-mouth—were more effective than Google and Facebook ads for recruiting participants to a wearable study.

Full article: Domain-Specific Participant Recruitment

CTSC Leadership Drives Innovation in IPF Therapy

Dr. Amar Desai, incoming co-lead to the CTSC pilot module, is the senior author of a new study developing beta-cyclodextrin polymer microparticles for sustained Nintedanib delivery. In a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, this approach maintained drug levels for over 70 hours, reduced inflammation, and minimized dosing.

Explore the Research on Sustained Nintedanib Delivery

Advancing Frontiers in the Science of Reproduction: A Multidisciplinary Symposium

Join the CTSC of Northern Ohio for "Advancing Frontiers in the Science of Reproduction" on September 25, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the MidTown Collaboration Center in Cleveland. This free, day-long symposium features academic sessions, a panel on research in community contexts, a keynote from Dr. Erica E. Marsh of the University of Michigan, and a community book reading. Lunch and parking are provided, and the first 100 registrants will receive a free copy of the book "Inferior" by Angela Saini.

Learn more about the Reproductive Health Symposium

Exciting Updates to the CTSC Core Utilization Pilot (CUP) Award Program

The CTSC of Northern Ohio has streamlined the Core Utilization Pilot (CUP) Award Program, making it easier to apply and expanding access to core facilities. With Dr. Amar Desai as the new co-lead, the CUP Award offers up to $10,000 for early-stage translational research.

Explore the Updated CUP Program

CTSC Inspires Future Scientists Through Summer Research Partnership

The CTSC of Northern Ohio recently partnered with the Harland G. Wood Summer Research Scholar Program to introduce Cleveland high school students to various career paths in Clinical and Translational Science (CTS). Through interactive seminars, hands-on workshops, and presentations from leading researchers, students explored topics ranging from biomedical engineering to community-engaged research and public health. The program emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork and community involvement in advancing healthcare innovation.

Inside the 2025 Clinical Research Summer Program

Congratulations to Our First CER Mentoring Graduates!

In June, we celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the CTSC Community Engaged Research (CER) Mentoring Program—the only program in Northeast Ohio focused exclusively on CER. Launched in September 2024, this initiative pairs mentees with experienced mentors and community partners to build research skills, expand professional networks, and foster meaningful collaborations. Modeled after the Georgia CTSA program, it featured regular meetings, cohort sessions, and support from the International Coaching Federation Cleveland. Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort open later this July and are due by September 5.

Meet the CER Graduates and Learn How to Apply!

CTSC Partner Event

Monday, July 28, 2025 | 5:30PM - 6:30PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Partner Event: UH CRC Resident & Fellow Research Training

Join us for a 1-hour virtual session designed for UH residents and fellows to help you navigate the research process. Learn about the IRB submission process, required training, Clinical Research Center operations, and valuable resources from UH CRC and CWRU CTSC—including biostatistical support, TriNetX, REDCap, and more. Choose from three dates and get the tools you need to launch your research successfully.

Join UH CRC Resident & Fellow Research Training

CTSC Event

Wednesday, July 30, 2025 | 12:00PM - 1:00PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Hosts Big Data Informatics Series Office Hours

Are you using Epic Cosmos or TriNetX for research? Join the CTSC of Northern Ohio’s Big Data Informatics Series Office Hours for expert guidance from Drs. Hughes and Jarrett. Bring your research ideas or questions—get help with queries, data downloads, or choosing the right platform for your project. Office hours support users at all levels and build on our Big Data webinar series. If you’re new to the series, you can access past webinar recordings— email the CTSC admin for access.

Join Big Data Informatics Office Hours

CTSC Event

Tuesday, August 12, 2025 | 11:00AM - 12:00PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Spotlight Series:

Speed, Strategy, & Scientific Visibility

Join Sue Marasco, PhD, and Roberto Alers-Velasquez, PhD, for an overview on maximizing research impact through short-format publications and CTSC funding vouchers. Learn how to leverage collaboration, accelerate timelines, and identify the right journal and article type to turn your data into high-visibility outputs in just a few months. We’ll share best practices, publication tips, and real-world examples to help you publish smarter and faster.

CTSC Event

Thursday, August 14, 2025 | 12:00PM - 1:00PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Science Cafe: Neuroinflammation

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Zahoor Shah, Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Education & Research at The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, as August's CTSC Science Cafe speaker. Dr. Shah will share his expertise on neuroinflammation, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms and impact of inflammation in the nervous system. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leading researcher in the field!

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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: