Integrated Health Science Facility Core

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The overarching objective of the Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC) of the Center for Integrated Environmental Health Sciences (CIEHS) is to translate basic research on pollution and lifestyle factors influencing human health and chronic diseases. The multi-disciplinary IHSFC provides infrastructure facilitating translational human subjects EHS research for the CIEHS, university, and community. The ultimate goal is to improve public health and clinical practice. The IHSFC supports patient-oriented clinical research; group and population-based research; and community engaged/led research. The IHSFC is comprised of two interacting subunits: the Research Administration and Planning Subunit (RAPS) and the Research Implementation Subunit (RIS). The IHSFC interacts with other CIEHS cores and the Research Interest Groups (RIGs) to (i) provide access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and technologies; (ii) increase multidisciplinary collaboration; and (iii) enhance partnerships with community-based organizations. The IHSFC’s first specific aim is to administer the IHSFC and plan translational human subjects EHS research. This aim is performed by RAPS. RAPS provides IHSFC access to CIEHS members, trainees, and the community. RAPS solicits applications for human subjects research; and then reviews, prioritizes and financially subsidizes supported applications. RAPS defines IHSFC research in the context of the NIEHS Translational Research Framework. Community- proposed research ideas are assigned to an appropriate CIEHS member for development and execution. RAPS provides translational research training/education; and tracks and reports performance metrics to the Administrative Core for evaluation. RAPS provides scientific, study design, and community engagement consultation through linkages to the RIGs and other CIEHS cores. These consultations ensure that all IHSFC- supported studies: (i) are rigorously designed and powered; (ii) are consistent with CIEHS’s theme and research interests; and (iii) consider the involvement of community organizations impacting this research. The IHSFC’s second specific aim is to implement IHSFC research. This aim is performed by the RIS. RIS provides human subjects research services and access to state-of-the-art bio-analytic instrumentation and technologies through linkage to the Integrated Toxicomics & Environmental Measurement Facility Core (ITEMFC). In turn, ITEMFC measures exposure and ‘omics-based disease biomarkers. RIS leverages UofL’s adult Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), the Kosair Charities Pediatric Clinical Research Units (KCPCRU), and existing cohorts/biorepositories to obtain human subjects data and biological samples. Next, RIS provides linkage to other CIEHS cores for biomarker measurement, data analysis, and knowledge dissemination. Based on the combination of physician-scientists engaged in EHS research and clinical research units found nowhere else, the IHSFC has the unique capacity to conduct impactful translational EHS research, including biomarker studies and interventional clinical trials.