June 2025, Issue 1 | CTSC Newsletter



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Meet the CTSC Team |

Lora Parent, MBA

Director of Strategic

Partnerships and

Research Development,

Clinical and Translational

Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio

Compassionate, energetic, and purpose-driven, Lora Parent brings a dynamic blend of marketing strategy, relationship-building, and educational outreach to her role at the CTSC of Northern Ohio. With a background rooted in marketing and sales—enhanced by years of experience in higher education and nonprofit fundraising—Lora is passionate about translating textbook theory into real-world impact within the scientific and research domains.

At the CTSC, Lora collaborates with partner institutions across Northern Ohio to expand the reach and visibility of translational research initiatives. Whether promoting educational opportunities, organizing high-impact events, or developing strategic campaigns, she is dedicated to driving engagement and disseminating best practices that support innovation and discovery. "Helping to promote research initiatives—through activities, events, and educational opportunities—has not only fueled my professional growth, but deeply fulfilled my desire to educate, inspire, and connect others," she shares. 

Lora also serves as a co-chair of the CTSA Communicators Group. In this role, she gains valuable insights into emerging communication trends across the CTSA consortium. Her participation facilitates regular collaboration with communicators from other hubs, allowing for the exchange of best practices, strategies, and lessons learned that she brings back to inform and enhance local initiatives.

Outside of work, Lora enjoys reading, biking, and spending time with her husband Drew and two children, Sadie & Harrison. 

Fun Fact: Lora appeared as a video guest on the talk show ‘Watch What Happens Live’ which airs on BravoTV.  

Watch the CTSC 2025 CTS Research Program RFA Informational Webinar:

The CTS Research Program seeks applications for 2-3 year pilot projects. The specific goal of the CTS Research Program is to support projects promoting overall health and reducing the burden of chronic illness through innovative technology.

Projects must involve multiple CTSC partners and address mid- to late-stage clinical research with measurable health outcomes. Funding ranges from $125,000 to $175,000 per year. Watch the CTSC 2025 Research Project RFA Informational Webinar above.

Letter of Intent Deadline: June 30, 2025

Review the full 2025 CTS Program RFA

Other Funding Opportunities:

• Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) – This NIH opportunity supports collaborative research using large-scale data to advance understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Due date: June 27, 2025 (OTA-25-006)

• NCATS Small Business Programs – Funding Priorities – Priority areas include drug discovery, diagnostics, gene therapies, rare disease treatments, and tools to accelerate research from the bench to the bedside.
• View all NCATS SBIR and STTR Research Priorities

Public Access Policy Update



Effective July 1, 2025, NIH will require all NIH-funded research outputs—including articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, and preprints—to be made publicly available immediately upon publication. Authors must submit their final manuscripts to PubMed Central or other designated repositories. For full details and the guidance document, visit the CTSC Cite Us page.

CTSC Member and Research Leader Ronald Hickman Appointed Dean of Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN, FAAN—CTSC member, R25 lead, and quadruple alumnus—has been named the next dean of CWRU’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, effective July 1. A nationally recognized nurse scientist and educator, Dr. Hickman brings nearly 20 years of experience and is committed to advancing nursing science, community partnerships, and alumni engagement as he succeeds Carol Musil.

Read more about Dr. Hickman's appointment as Dean

Raed Dweik, MD, MBA, ATSF, Named President of the American Thoracic Society

We are delighted to announce that Raed Dweik, MD, MBA, ATSF—PI of the CTSC KL2 Scholar Program and key CTSC collaborator—has begun his term as President of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) as of May 20, 2025. As chair of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Dweik is known for his leadership and innovation. In a recent Healio interview, he shared, “My main goal is to have a more inclusive society for everyone at every stage of their career in respiratory health.”

Share Your Voice: Community Engagement Studios

For questions about CE Studios, contact Ivory Simms or call 216-368-5774

Celebrating the Grand Opening of the MidTown Collaboration Center

The MidTown Collaboration Center (MCC) celebrated its grand opening on May 16 with a community block party, uniting local leaders, partners, and residents in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood. The MCC brings together education, health, arts, and community organizations—including Case Western Reserve’s Institute for Population and Community Health and the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC)—to foster collaboration and community wellness. By connecting researchers and local residents, the MCC and CTSC are creating new opportunities for engagement, shared learning, and co-creating solutions to improve health outcomes across Northern Ohio and beyond.

Read the full article on the MCC's grand opening

Empowering Health: Food Pantries Lead the Way in Smoking Cessation

Case Western Reserve, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, and Cleveland’s Department of Public Health are partnering to offer anti-smoking resources at local food pantries. Led by CTSC pilot awardee Jin E. Kim-Mozeleski, PhD, this initiative connects pantry visitors with quitline and support services. Watch the CTSC's previous video on Dr. Kim-Mozeleski.

Read the full article about Dr. Kim-Mozeleski's food pantry initiative

CTSC Investigator Advances Methods for Assessing Research Benefits

A recent study co-authored by CTSC Director of Evaluations, Clara M. Pelfrey introduces new criteria for measuring the impact of research using the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM). This innovative approach provides a more comprehensive way to assess the real-world benefits and societal impact of translational research, supporting the CTSC’s mission to advance scientific discovery and its application to health.

Explore the full publication in JCTS

CTSC Partner Event

Thursday, June 5, 2025 | 9:30AM - 6:00PM | BRB, CWRU

12th Annual Thomas R. Ten Have Symposium on Statistics in Mental Health

Join us at CWRU School of Medicine for the Thomas R. Ten Have Symposium on Statistics in Mental Health. The event features a keynote by Kelley Kidwell, PhD (University of Michigan), talks from leading speakers, and a panel on mental health funding.

CTSC Event

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | 11:00AM - 12:00PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Spotlight Series - Clinical Research Design 101: Laying the Groundwork for High-Quality Studies

Join Jared Durieux, PhD, and Jennifer Murphy, PhD, from University Hospitals to learn how to use the PICO framework for focused research questions, review key clinical study designs, and watch a live demo of PICO in TriNetX.

CTSC Event

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

CTSC Science Cafe -

Postdocs in Translational Science

We’re excited to welcome Dr. James Spilsbury, Director of the CTSC T32 Postdoctoral Training Program, to our June Science Café. He will share strategies for training clinical and translational scientists for interdisciplinary and community-focused research.

CTSC Partner Event

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | 8:00AM - 5:00PM | Squire Valleevue Farm

Frontiers in Blood, Heart, Lung & Immunology: Transforming Discovery Into Impact

Join us for Science Day at Squire Valleevue Farm. Connect with researchers and clinicians to explore the latest in cardiovascular, respiratory, and immunological health. The keynote will be Nobel Laureate Gregg L. Semenza, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University).

CTSC Event

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | 4:00PM - 6:30PM | Studio West 117

CTSC Sustaining & Supporting Community-Engaged Researchers Workshop

Join us for a free, interactive workshop for community-engaged researchers at Studio West 117 (Lakewood, OH). Enjoy dinner, networking, a panel on CER challenges, hands-on stations, wellness activities like yoga and pickleball, and the keynote “Caring for Ourselves So We Can Care for Others” by Dr. Margy Sanders (NEOMED).

CTSC Event

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | 12:00PM - 1:00PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Big Data Webinar: TriNetX Database Beginner

Join the CTSC for an introductory webinar on the TriNetX Database! Attendees will learn how to access and log in, explore the data dictionary, and perform simple queries. Perfect for beginners interested in leveraging big data for research.

CTSC Event

Thursday, June 26, 2025 | 12:00PM - 1:00PM | Virtual Via Zoom

CTSC Distinguished Speaker Series -

Health Information & Data Science

For this month's Distinguished Speaker Series, we have Philip Payne, PhD, FACMI, Chief Data Scientist at Washington University. He will discuss the evolving role of data science in clinical and translational research and share strategies for using informatics to improve health outcomes.

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