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CTSI Spotlights
GCRU, PRIME and RPN
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The General Clinical Research Unit (GCRU), located at 72 East Concord Street, Evans Building, 8th floor, is a shared resource currently utilized by 30 PIs for approximately 75 studies. Our committed and experienced nursing and laboratory staff possess the skills, knowledge and expertise to implement your research protocol(s).
Our services include: recruitment, regulatory documents including IRB submissions, and data entry. If you do not have appropriate study staff, please speak with
Ridiane Denis
. The GCRU may be able to provide personnel support for your study through the
Research Job Connection.
New Services Offered:
Special consideration is given to studies where it is physically impractical for participants to come to the Evans building (e.g participant in hospital). In these cases, services are offered through our "GCRU without walls", where GCRU staff can go to your participant to provide requested services.
CPR certification and
Phlebotomy training are now available.
CPR new certification is $75, and offered on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month, from 9:30 to 11:30am.
Phlebotomy new certification 3 day training is $350, and offered on the 3rd week of every month, Wednesday - Friday 9:00 -11:30am.
Although the GCRU hours of operations are Monday - Friday 7am -4pm, special arrangements can be made for after hour and weekend visits.
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PRIME Scholars Accomplishments
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The PRIME Program is designed to help faculty successfully transition from K investigators to independent funding.
Jesse Mez, MD, MS, assistant professor of neurology at BUSM, has received a three-year, $1.2 million grant from the United States Department of Defense to study the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and military service on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
Dr. Mez, who also serves as Associate Director of the BU Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center Clinical Core, will study Framingham Heart Study participants to test the hypothesis that TBI and military service are independently and jointly associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions (such as Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy Bodies).
Ji Yi, PhD
Ji Yi, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at BUSM received $3.2 million in grant funding from NIH/NEI and NIH/NINDS to study retinal imaging
techniques
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Dr. Ji Yi's lab develops novel optical imaging techniques for translational purposes. His recent development of various three-dimensional retinal imaging techniques was funded by a NIH/NEI (R21EY029412, Sensitive detection of malignancy in primary acquired melanosis by advanced optical imaging) and NIH/NINDS (R01NS108464, Predictive markers for diabetic retinopathy via quantitative imaging of retinal capillary functions). Aided by a CTSI pilot award in 2016, the R21 award aims to implement a technique in clinics called inverse spectroscopic optical coherence tomography to provide sensitive markers for ocular surface malignancy. The R01 focuses on another multimodal retinal imaging method that measures the retinal capillary functions, including blood-retina barrier leakage, local oxygenation, and capillary flow, as imaging markers to predict the progression and the prognosis of diabetic retinopathy. The awards exemplified how technical innovation may change and benefit the nowadays clinical challenges, and how translational research can be clinically important.
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Monica Wang, assistant professor of community health sciences, has been named one of the 2018 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders (TOYL) by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The honors are presented annually by City Awake, a program of the chamber that connects and celebrates the next generation of leaders.
2018-19 Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Awards
We are delighted to share with you that two of the PRIME Scholars have been announced as this years recipients of the 2018-19 Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Awards! There were 25 outstanding applicants for the Awards which made the selection process extremely challenging. The following Assistant Professors have been selected based on their exceptional achievements and promise.
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Michelle Long, M.D.,
Gastroenterology Section
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Ji Yi, Ph.D.,
Gastroenterology Section
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Research Professionals Network (RPN)
Last week, the CTSI hosted members of the Research Professionals Network (RPN) for the second annual RPN Luncheon in the Hiebert Lounge. Eighty-five research team members from various departments and roles across BMC and BU Medical Campus attended and were treated to lunch as appreciation for their hard work and dedication to research at BMC/BU Medical Campus. The event included presentations on the history of coordinator networks as well as updates about the BMC/BU Medical Campus RPN.
RPN Leadership Committee members and leaders and attendees of RPN workshops were given special recognition for their contributions to the RPN. The afternoon concluded with the RPN Awards Ceremony, during which three outstanding RPN members were recognized for their exceptional contributions to their study teams, departments, and the BMC/BU Medical Campus research community:
Mary-Catherine Stockman, MPH, RD, LDN (Rising Star Award),
Carly Bridden, MA, MPH (All Star Award) and
Helena Lau, RN, MSPH (All Star Award). Congratulations to our awardees!
The RPN is a CTSI-supported initiative open to all clinical/human research coordinators, project managers, research nurses, research assistants, and other research support staff, with the mission of enhancing the quality of human/clinical research at the BMC/BU Medical Campus by supporting the professional development of clinical research support staff.
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CTSI Consults, Services and Tools
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Citing the CTSI Grant
If you have received CTSI funding, used our services, consults, tools or were/are enrolled in one of our programs such as PRIME, CREST, K Grant Workshop, Mini-Sabbaticals, Career Award (KL2 or Early Career Development Awards) you are required to cite the grant on any publications that are a product of these services or programs.
When citing publications that were supported or funded by the CTSI, please use the following grants.
The
KL2 scholars must link publications to the KL2 grant
KL2 TR001411 (Felson).
UNLESS, the publications were a result of direct funding from TWO components, eg., if a KL2 Scholar received both funding from the KL2 AND a Pilot award.... Then both grants can be cited.
The
TL1 scholars must link publications to the TL1 grant - TL1 TR001410 (Kotton).
Pilots Awardees should cite - UL1 TR001430 (Center).
For scholars in the following programs they should cite accordingly;
CREST, K Grant, PRIME, Mini Sabbatical- UL1 TR001430 (Center).
CRRO and
RPN should cite UL1 TR001430 (Center).
Citing
REDCap: Please cite the REDCap publication below and the BU CTSI grant
UL1 TR001430 (Center).
Please cite REDCap's publication in study manuscripts using REDCap for data collection and management.
*Citing of the CTSI grant pertains only to projects funded by NIH or Federally Funded dollars.
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Trialspark
Hear how Trialspark can help you. Watch this informative video.
Trialspark is a data driven recruitment strategy utilizing on-line advertising campaigns to target specific research populations.
Using digital markers of online activity, Trialspark can help researchers recruit quickly and efficiently.
Advanced clinical trial recruitment platform. Using machine learning and targeting approaches to engage the exact patients needed. Helping recruit faster and more efficiently for clinical trials. This is accomplished by directing qualified patient leads to you, but also by making sure that researchers and study coordinators can screen trial participants as effectively and efficiently as possible.
BU CTSI is piloting this service to determine university wide interest and will subsidize the cost of creating an on-line data driven advertising campaign platform. Once the recruitment material is IRB approved and ready to go live, each study is then responsible for monthly costs associated with using Trialspark. Costs are based on individual study needs.
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Save The Date!
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10/16/18
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Single IRB and Reliance Agreements
Research Professionals Network (RPN). You must be a member of the RPN to attend.
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10/23/18
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BU Connect -
A research and innovation showcase designed to "connect" BU faculty and students with like-minded people in the local industrial & entrepreneurial ecosystem
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Learn more.
The event features:
- An exposition hall with representatives from BU's leading research centers/laboratories
- Breakout sessions addressing problems and solutions across various subject areas
- Student-led innovation projects/companies
- Presentation of the Boston University Innovator of the Year Award
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10/26/18
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4th Annual Shared Regional Mentoring Symposium
Hosted by Umass CCTS at MassBiologics, Mattapan, MA.
Co-sponsored by BU CTSI, Harvard Catalyst and Tufts CTSI
The symposium provides mentees with an opportunity to engage in
career advising with faculty experts outside of their existing mentoring networks and respective institutions. Such
external engagement sets-up a different dynamic that allows for a fresh perspective on an individual's career
development plans and networking fosters a sense of community among researchers. This symposium serves
to support the career development aims of the CTSA consortium.
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10/26/18
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Principal Investigator Role Training
This training is open to new and experienced PIs and clinical researchers and will cover: responsibilities of the investigator/investigator sponsor, navigating the IRB application, protocol adherence and safety plans, best practices in consent and screening processes, the importance of documentation, and monitoring, evaluating and reporting adverse events and unanticipated problems.
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11/27/18
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Research Design and Data Analysis
Research Professionals Network (RPN). You must be a member of the RPN to attend.
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11/28/18
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Fundamentals in the Conduct of Clinical Research: BMC and BU Medical Campus Research Professional Staff Training.
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12/17/18
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Developing Effective Data Collection Tools
Research Professionals Network (RPN). You must be a member of the RPN to attend.
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Hub Buzz
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NIH 2019 Funding Updates
President Trump signed the 2019 spending package 'minibus' that provides an increase of $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This increases the NIH budget by 5.4 percent and includes additional funding for the BRAIN initiative, Alzheimer's disease research, and precision medicine studies. In addition, this is the first time in many years that the appropriations for NIH were completed before the start of the Federal fiscal year.
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NIH Approves Extension Policy for Early Stage Investigator Status
NIH remains strongly committed to the
Next Generation Researchers Initiative (NGRI) policy to fund more early career investigators and to enhance biomedical research workforce diversity. NIH defines an ESI as a Program Director / Principal Investigator (PD/PI) who has completed her/his terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever date is later, within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award.
NIH considers requests for extension of the ESI period for various reasons, including medical concerns, disability, extended periods of clinical training, natural disasters, active duty military service. Each of these requests is reviewed on a case by case basis. Because close to 50% of the ESI extension requests are related to childbirth, effective immediately, NIH will approve an ESI extension of one year for childbirth within the ESI period. PDs/PIs must provide the child's date of birth in the extension request justification on the
NIH Extension portal.
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Translation Science 2019
Translational Science brings together more than 1,000 trainees, researchers and federal officers to learn about the latest research, and explore new opportunities for funding and collaboration. You'll benefit from attending a comprehensive lineup of educational sessions, networking events and the abstract hall.
Plus, another day has been added to include extra content! That means more workshops and mini-symposiums, abstract presentations, and time to meet with key thought leaders in the field.
Don't miss your chance to catch up with old friends and meet new connections in the nation's capital. It's the perfect place to educate policymakers on the country's investment in clinical research and translational science.
You're investing in yourself when you attend, so plan your trip to Washington, DC today!
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The ABCs of DSMBs: CTSA Program hubs work together to produce much-needed training manual
Monitoring patient safety and protecting patient data is without question one of the most important aspects of clinical research. One of the ways researchers look to do this is through the use of a Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) - a group of people who monitor the progress of a trial and review safety data in an ongoing manner. However, until recently, there's been little guidance related to DSMB practices. In response, a group of cross-hub Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program members have produced an online.
DSMB Training Manual.
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When The Government Funds Basic Research, The Future Wins
This Politics & Society by ScienceAf story was written by Jeffery Gardner
Basic research doesn't always lead to an obvious, immediate application. However, that doesn't mean something will never be of use.
The Senate recently proposed to increase the research budgets of the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and NASA. While this is encouraging to the many scientists whose research is dependent on grants from these agencies, it comes at a time when scientific research is under increased scrutiny.
Questioning the merit of scientific research is certainly not new. In the 1970s and 1980s the Golden Fleece Awards were an ignominious honor bestowed by a U.S. senator on what he considered "wasteful" research. The majority of the ire was aimed at research thought to be "useless." But having no obvious immediate application doesn't mean something will never be of use.
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NCATS
Volume 07 | Issue 09 |
New Test Enables Faster Diagnosis of Deadly Disease
NCATS' small business support enabled the development and analysis of a simple paper test for diarrheal disease. The test does not need electricity and can detect seven common causes of diarrhea in less than 30 minutes. The platform technology used holds promise for diagnosing many different diseases.
NCATS Develops New Technique to Look Inside 3-D Cells
NCATS scientists have created a simple, fast and automated process to make 3-D tissues transparent. The new method enables many types of observations within 3-D growth environments, such as locating molecules inside a cell or finding damaged DNA.
CTSA Program Support Enables Improved Melanoma Treatment
UCLA researchers, supported in part through NCATS' Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program, discovered four subtypes of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. They found that two types of cancer treatments led to melanoma cells becoming resistant to treatment.
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NATIONAL CENTER FOR DATA TO HEALTH
September Issue
Here about the latest news from the CD2H as they collaborate with the CTSA community to accelerate innovation in translational science. September featured the Leaf Cloud Pilot Project, a recap of the most recent Show and Tell meeting, and updates on upcoming events including a hands-on informatics training workshop.
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Podcasts: All About Grants
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The Office of Extramural Research (OER) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) presents conversations with NIH staff members. Designed for investigators, fellows, students, research administrators, and others, we provide insights on grant topics from those who live and breathe the information. In mp3 and updated monthly. Click icon on the left.
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Help us continue our support by citing our grant number
in relevant publications: 1UL1TR001430
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All publications resulting from the utilization of CTSI resources are required to credit the CTSI grant by including the NIH Funding acknowledgment and must comply with NIH Public Access Policy.
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Boston University
Clinical & Translational Science Institute
Accelerating Discoveries Towards Better Health
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