An institute established four years ago with a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health announced that it has distributed more than $12.5 million in grants and awards to support research since 2008 and currently supports more than 80 full-time equivalent professional jobs across Indiana.
These statistics are among the information in a new Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute report highlighting its progress in accelerating the translation of scientific research into new medical treatments and therapies. The Indiana CTSI, housed at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is one of 60 centers across the United States established by a $25 million grant from the NIH and the only recipient of this grant in Indiana. It includes Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.
“Our institute has made great strides over the past four years in creating a translational research pipeline across Indiana that carries new discoveries from the lab to the community,” said Anantha Shekhar, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Indiana CTSI. “This report highlights some of the remarkable achievements to arise from this strategic improvement in research infrastructure.”
Projects described in the Indiana CTSI Biennial Progress Report include basic science research, clinical trials, and drug and device development, as well as educational programs and new partnerships focused on translational science at home and abroad.
“Some of the greatest achievements to arise from the Indiana CTSI include drug development projects targeted at diseases such as autism and osteoporosis, a multi-institute partnership to advance the fight against cancer and a medical device under development to assist people with Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. Shekhar said. “We’ve also developed a new system to connect patients with clinical research and contributed to community health projects that range from downtown Indianapolis to southern Kenya.”
These projects are reported across five categories that emphasize the five strategic goals of the Indiana CTSI. They are stories about advances in medical research; scientists and citizens working together to advance knowledge; new medical devices and technologies; educational projects aimed at training the next generation; and partnerships with local, national and international groups.
As an institute whose membership includes the three largest research universities in the state — as well as public and private partnerships with businesses, hospitals and community groups — the Indiana CTSI is uniquely positioned to coordinate and support research across the state, Dr. Shekhar said.
“The Indiana CTSI is working to transform the things we do every day as scholars and researchers — to connect people in order to create new knowledge, new products and new ideas — and to do it faster and more efficiently,” he said.
To view the complete Indiana CTSI Biennial Progress Report, visit www.indianactsi.org/site/docs/2012ctsibiennialreport.pdf.