July 2026 | CTSC Newsletter, Issue 2 | | To ensure you're always viewing the entire newsletter, check at the bottom of the email to see if the newsletter has been "clipped" and, if so, click "view entire message". You can also view the full newsletter on the News and Announcements page of our website | | Click on the images below to be directed to more information: | | | | |
Help us Shape the Future of AI in the CTSC
The CTSC of Northern Ohio is launching an AI Landscape Assessment to better understand how artificial intelligence is currently being used across our partner institutions and where additional support may be needed. We encourage researchers, clinicians, educators, staff, and trainees to share their experiences and perspectives. Your feedback will help guide future CTSC investments in AI-related resources, training, consultation, governance, and implementation support. The survey takes approximately 5–7 minutes to complete, and all responses will be kept confidential.
Thank you for contributing to this important initiative!
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Join us for Translational Science Week, taking place September 14–18, 2026 as we celebrate 'Champions in Research'. The CTSC will mark 19 years since its founding on September 17, 2007, this year’s celebration will recognize the individuals and collaborations that continue to advance clinical and translational science across our region. The week will bring together researchers, staff, trainees, and community partners for a series of engaging events that highlight the impact of translational science and the strength of our CTSC community. Celebrate the outstanding researchers, innovators, and collaborators featured during Translational Science Week 2026. To register for these events, visit our website.
Featured Champions in Research:
- Philip Greenland, MD (Northwestern Medicine)
- Larisa Tereshchenko, MD (Cleveland Clinic)
- Anny Reyes, PhD (Cleveland Clinic)
- Jacob Hill, ND (Cleveland Clinic)
- David E. Conroy, PhD (University of Michigan)
- David Sheyn, MD (University Hospitals)
- Danette Conklin, PhD (University Hospitals)
- Anna Rybinska-Campbell, PhD (MetroHealth)
- John Lee, MD (HighMark Health)
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Reproductive Health Symposium 2026:
'From Exposure to Outcome'
Join us on Thursday, September 24, 2026, for this free, day-long Reproductive Health Symposium at the MidTown Collaboration Center. Hosted in collaboration with the CTSC of Northern Ohio, CWRU School of Medicine Department of Pathology, CWRU Center for Global Health and Disease, and the UH Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians, and community partners to explore how environmental influences shape reproductive health and outcomes.
Highlights include:
- Special keynote presentation by Jodi Flaws, PhD, (University of Illinois)
- Short presentations from local researchers
- An interactive demonstration of a CTSC Community Engaged Studio.
Free registration, lunch, and parking are included. Trainees and researchers interested in sharing their work can submit an abstract by August 14, 2026 at 5PM.
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CTSC Themed Pilot Opportunity:
"Advancing Clinical and Translational Science with AI"
The CTSC of Northern Ohio is now accepting applications for a new Themed Pilot funding opportunity focused on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance clinical and translational research and improve health outcomes. This opportunity will support four pilot awards up to $50,000 each.
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NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional): The NIH Common Fund, through the Office of the NIH Director, is offering the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA‑RM‑27‑002). Awards provide up to $475,000 in direct costs per year for five years, with approximately 30 awards anticipated in FY 2027.
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PRIMED-AI: Development and Testing of a Multi-use Frameworks Playbook for Precision Medicine with AI (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed): The NIH is inviting applications for the PRIMED-AI program to support development and preliminary validation of frameworks for multimodal AI tools that integrate imaging with other health data for clinical decision support. The goal is to create a “playbook” of guidelines and standardized protocols to advance reliable and scalable precision medicine applications. NIH anticipates 5 awards of up to $300,000 each.
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PRIMED-AI: Data-to-Model Academic-Industrial Partnerships (D2M-AIP) for Precision Medicine with AI: Integrating Imaging with Multimodal Data (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional): The NIH is soliciting applications for the PRIMED-AI D2M-AIP program to support academic-industry partnerships developing multimodal AI-based clinical decision support tools. These projects will integrate clinical imaging with other health data to advance precision medicine and accelerate adoption of reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable AI tools in clinical care. NIH anticipates making 8 awards under this opportunity.
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Long COVID Study Earns Top Honor, AIM-AHEAD
Prakash Ganesh, MD, MPH, a current CTSC K12 Scholar and former ATLAS participant, presented an award-winning poster on long COVID and two-year mortality, which used machine learning methods to analyze longitudinal outcomes within the N3C Enclave database. Developed as our longitudinal group project, this work was also shared with Dr. Michael Kurilla, Director of the Division of Clinical Innovation at NCATS. The project was recognized as Best Poster across the entire cohort and was selected for a brief oral presentation to the full conference audience.
View Dr. Ganesh's full poster on Long COVID
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CTSC-Supported Study Links Psoriasis to AMD Risk
A recent CTSC-supported study by Kevin Cooper, MD, a 2025 Annual Pilot Awardee, and colleagues found that psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of non-exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the study also identified an unexpected finding: among patients with psoriasis, biologic therapy was associated with a lower 10-year risk of non-exudative AMD. These results highlight an important link between psoriasis and eye health.
Explore Kevin Cooper, MD’s full research article
| | CER Program Honors Second-Year Cohort | | |
The CTSC Community Engaged Research (CER) Mentoring Program is proud to celebrate the graduates of its second-year cohort. This year, seven mentee-mentor dyads and two community mentors completed the program, which fosters skill-building, mentoring relationships, and growth in community-engaged research. Following a graduation celebration in June, the program is now accepting applications for its third-year cohort. As the only mentoring program in Northeast Ohio dedicated exclusively to Community Engaged Research, it provides a unique opportunity to build expertise in this important and growing area of translational science.
We are seeking mentors and mentees for the next CER Mentoring Program cohort, applications are now open!
Interested applicants should note that a mandatory orientation will be held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 9:30–11:00AM.
Applications are due September 4, 2026.
For questions, please reach out to Darerian Schueller
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Living With COPD in Rural Ohio?
The CTSC is hosting a Community Engaged (CE) Studio, Living With COPD in Rural Ohio, on Thursday, July 30, 2026, from 4–6 p.m. at UH Geneva Medical Center. This session invites adults age 55 and older living with COPD, as well as caregivers, to share their experiences and help inform research aimed at improving COPD care in rural communities. By gathering perspectives on disease management, barriers to care, and environmental exposures, the CE Studio will help guide research that is more responsive to community needs and experiences.
Learn more about the Living with COPD CE Studio
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Sickle Cell Disease, Seeking Participants for our next CE Studio
The CTSC will host a Sickle Cell Disease CE Studio on Monday, August 3, 2026, from 4–6 p.m. at the MidTown Collaboration Center. This session invites Greater Cleveland adults with sickle cell disease or trait, as well as those with family or community connections to sickle cell disease, to share their perspectives on screening and testing. Community feedback will help guide research on the Gazelle point-of-care test and inform the development of better health programs for sickle cell testing across Northeast Ohio.
View details for the Sickle Cell Disease CE Studio
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CTSC Scientific Writing Open Office Hours
Speaker: Roberto Alers-Velazquez, PhD
*No registration required
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CTSC Big Data Informatics Open Office Hours
Moderators: Craig Jarrett, MD and Ashley Hughes, PhD
*No registration required
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CTSC Resources & Services Office Hours
*No registration required
Event Details
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CTSC Science Cafe:
'K12 Research Spotlight'
Speakers: Adina Kern-Goldberger, MD, MPH & Deirdre Scully, PhD
Event Details
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CTSC MOCK
STUDY SECTION
Friday, November 6, 2026
8:00AM - 4:00PM
MidTown Collaboration Center
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CTSC EPIC COSMOS DATATHON
Friday, November 20, 2026
8:00AM - 5:00PM
MidTown Collaboration Center
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WHOLE HEALTH
RESEARCH SUMMIT
Friday, January 15, 2027
8:00AM - 4:00PM
MidTown Collaboration Center
| | Click on the images below to be directed to more information from the CTSC and our colleagues: | | | |
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.
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