In This Issue

• New ICTR Executive Director
• New ICTR K12 Director
• New Resources from the Biomarker and Biorepository Core



Funding Opportunities:

• Clinical Research Training Program Applications Due March 1st
• PhD in Clinical Investigation Program Applications Due April 1st

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Stephanie Alfieri as the new executive director of the Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research where she will work alongside Drs. Marla Keller, Mimi Kim, Paul Marantz as leaders of the Institute.

Stephanie brings vast experience from her previous roles at Einstein and Montefiore, which have included serving as a research administrator for the department of pediatrics; administrator and fellowship coordinator for the divisions of pulmonary medicine, rheumatology, and allergy and immunology in the department of medicine; and most recently as the senior administrator for the departments of genetics, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine. Stephanie has extensive experience managing complex grants, developing policies, and overseeing staff. She has earned a CRA certification in research administration and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Services Administration (magna cum laude) from the CUNY School of Professional Studies, in New York. 

As ICTR executive director, Stephanie will be responsible for program planning, financial and staff oversight, regulatory reporting, and management of the ICTR cores and other components of the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). She will also collaborate with faculty and staff on other grants to enhance clinical and translational research and training.

Stephanie assumes this role upon the planned retirement of Ms. Margie Arnim, who has served as executive director for the ICTR since 2000. Margie has been employed at Montefiore Einstein for 46 years, serving in several administrative roles and progressively assuming broader responsibilities in diverse departments, including nursing, management information systems, pediatrics, psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. She guided the ICTR through several NIH grant renewals and has been instrumental in extending ICTR resources, services, and education to support clinical and translational research at Einstein and Montefiore. 

Please join us in congratulating Stephanie as our new ICTR executive director and in wishing Margie well in her upcoming retirement. Click here to learn more about our leadership team.

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Deepa Rastogi as the new CTSA K12 Career Development Program co-lead alongside Dr. Paul Marantz.

Dr. Rastogi has an impressive track record of bench, clinical and translational research, leadership, and mentorship. As a pediatric pulmonary physician scientist, Dr. Rastogi has built a research program which focuses on genetics and immune mechanisms underlying childhood obesity-related asthma among underserved populations. She was on the faculty at Einstein from 2004-2019 before being recruited to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC to become Director of Translational Research and Co-Director of the Severe Asthma Program. Fortunately, Dr. Rastogi was recruited back to Einstein and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in 2023 to serve as Division Chief of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.

Dr. Rastogi began her research career at Einstein in 2008 when she was funded by a foundation grant that enabled her to join the ICTR Clinical Research Training Program and receive a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research Methods. She went on to receive an ICTR KL2 award followed by K23 funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH. She is currently R01 funded and has authored over 100 publications. 

Over 20 years of active research, she has had the opportunity to mentor over 35 trainees and junior faculty members. Nearly all have published first author publications and over 80% are in academic positions. This consistent focus on mentoring and career development of the next generation positions her well to serve as MPI for the K12 career development program with Dr. Paul Marantz, Associate Dean for Clinical Research Education and Associate Director of the ICTR. Click here to learn more about the ICTR mentored career development program.

Freezerworks Web Client

To cater to the developing needs of the research community, the Biorepository is constantly evolving and offering improved services for its collaborators. The Biorepository will be introducing an innovative, real-time data management software package: the Freezerworks Web Client. All PIs with samples stored in the Biorepository will be provided access to the Web Client, which will enable them to view their study’s inventory and to follow the workflow as samples are processed or retrieved and work with the technicians to ensure overall quality control. The Web Client features a personalized visual dashboard which will allow study teams to generate inventory reports, request samples for analysis or retrieval, and utilize several database management tools to manage their inventory.

Ortho Vitro XT7600

The Biomarker and Biorepository Core is pleased to announce the addition of the Ortho Vitros XT7600 System to our testing repertoire. The Vitros features a broad menu of clinical chemistry assays and immunoassays, including standard clinical chemistries, cardiac biomarker panel, COVID antibody testing, a detailed endocrinology and hormone panel, drug and metabolite testing, among others. Sample types can be blood or urine from human or non-human sources. The Ortho Vitros XT7600 will facilitate high-throughput sample processing for the Einstein-Montefiore community. A full list of assays can be found here. Questions should be directed to Jeff.lafleur@einsteinmed.edu.

On February 6th, the Einstein Montefiore ICTR hosted the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University for a workshop, Creating Connections: The Science of Communicating Science. Einstein and Montefiore research faculty, postdocs, CRTP and PhD students, and staff engaged in lively role-playing exercises designed to help them better communicate their research and knowledge to various audiences. To learn more about our research workforce training programs, click here.

The Einstein Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) is funded by the NIH under the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) and will be accepting applications January 1st through March 1st 2024.

This 2-year program consists of a didactic curriculum, emphasizing epidemiology, biostatistics, data analysis, grant writing, and research ethics; and a faculty mentored experience in clinical research, leading to the preparation of a thesis. Scholars successfully completing this program will earn a Master of Science in Clinical Research Methods.

There are expanded course offerings for research methodologies across the translational spectrum in:

·         Population & Clinical Sciences

·         Patient Centered Outcomes Research

·         Bench to Bedside Translational Research

CRTP scholars are drawn from all of Einstein’s medical specialties and subspecialties, including those interested in clinical investigation across the entire translational research spectrum, from mechanistic studies to population-based and health services research. The comprehensive program combines didactic learning and coursework with a mentored research experience.

We invite all qualified candidates to apply to the CRTP program beginning January 1st. If you are unsure if you should apply, contact the CRTP office for guidance. For more information and to apply, click here. For questions, please contact Aileen.McGinn@einsteinmed.edu.

The PhD in Clinical Investigation (PCI) is offered as a concentration for predoctoral PhD students enrolled in Einstein’s graduate division and for M.D./Ph.D. students in Einstein’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). The PCI's program goal is to provide novel, innovative, and forward-looking pre-doctoral training for biomedical investigators seeking to develop careers in translational science, creating new knowledge to help promote human health and prevent or treat disease. 

Applications to the PCI are available and due April 1st. Qualified applicants can find more information about pursuing a PhD in Clinical Investigation through the Einstein Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, or the Medical Scientist Training Program/MSTP. For more information on how to apply, click here. Questions should be directed to nancy.marte@einsteinmed.edu.

Interested in expanding your outreach? Study teams are invited to post clinical trial recruitment content on Einstein and Montefiore’s social media pages at no cost.

Contact Zoe Tsagaris at zoe.tsagaris@einsteinmed.edu to get started today!

The Montefiore Einstein Innovation Leadership Team is excited to announce a call for applications for the Innovation Biodesign Training Program’s 2024-2025 cycle. This one-year program is a unique experience to train the next generation of health technology innovators and encourages the development and validation of health technologies such as digital tools and devices. This initiative is only the sixth Innovation Biodesign Training Program in the United States and the first to focus on chronic conditions and health disparities.

Montefiore Einstein faculty and fellows from all departments are encouraged to apply to the Innovation Biodesign Training Program and residents can apply to the Innovation Training Pathway Program. Training will begin on July 1, 2024.

This program’s curriculum (3-4 hours required per week) includes: small group sessions, Innovation lab meetings, and a seminar series; a team-based health technology innovation project; mentoring from Montefiore Einstein faculty and external experts; and an end-of-program pitch presentation. All participants are required to have departmental sponsorship.

To indicate your interest in applying and to request the application packet, please e-mail Dr. Jariwala (sjariwal@montefiore.org). The application deadline is April 15, 2024.

Applications for a NIH postdoctoral fellowship (2 years) in basic biomedical, clinical or epidemiological research in cardiovascular, lung and blood diseases (not cancer) and sleep disorders to start July 1st, 2024 are now being accepted. Candidates must have a doctoral degree at the start of the training program.

To apply, please submit by March 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST to Dr. Reznik mreznik@montefiore.org and Dr. Isasi Carmen.Isasi@einsteinmed.edu:

• Personal statement (1 page) describing experience and training as well as interest and commitment to research in the area of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic diseases, and sleep disorders
• Current CV
• 3 letters of recommendation from research mentors and mentor contact information
• Possible research topic of interest

For more information, click here. Questions, email mreznik@montefiore.org.

The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) has scheduled Einstein and Montefiore's reaccreditation site visit, which will take place remotely February 27-29. Einstein and Montefiore were initially accredited for a 3-year period in June 2021. AAHRPP site visitors will interview roughly 80 individuals who are involved in the conduct or review of human subjects research. 

If you have been selected for an interview and have any questions, please reach out to Christopher Eichstedt at christopher.eichstedt@einsteinmed.edu.  

The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award is is two-year program designed to support the career development of early-stage investigator physicians preparing them to become independent clinical trial investigators engaged in advancing health equity through their research and mentoring. Applications are open until May 13th 2024. To learn more and apply, click here.

Montefiore Einstein investigators continue to succeed in obtaining funding. Some of these investigators with new grant awards are (from left to right):

Carmen Isasi MD, PhD, Professor, Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health (Health Behavior Research & Implementation Science) and Pediatrics (Adolescent Medicine), Marina Reznik MD, MS, Professor, Department of Pediatrics (Academic General Pediatrics), Richard Lipton MD, Professor, Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Epidemiology & Population Health (Epidemiology), and Ali Ezzati MD, Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology.

The Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is part of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Cite NIH funding in manuscripts, press releases, and other communication forums. All publications, press releases, or other documents that result from the utilization of any Einstein Montefiore CTSA resource are required to credit the CTSA grant and comply with NIH Public Access Policy (submission to PubMed Central). To learn more, click here.