Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute

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PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT - OVERALL The Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) was formed in 2007 to accelerate the impact of biomedical research on health. Penn State has almost $1 billion in research expenditures, and its College of Medicine (CoM) and Penn State Health system serve about 2.0 million people in largely rural regions of central PA. Penn State is the state's land-grant university, a research institution with a strong culture of interdisciplinary team science and a health system committed to the people and communities in our area. We have developed a growing outreach network and partnerships to better understand the communities' needs, address barriers to prevention and treatment, and test novel approaches to health concerns across the lifespan and translational spectrum. As a learning organization, we practice continuous evaluation and data-driven decision-making to achieve continuous quality improvement. Our vision is to be the cornerstone of CTS throughout Penn State and a leader in advancing rural CTS. A key component of our vision is that interdisciplinary teamwork and broad engagement of stakeholders is critical to success. Our specific aims are: Aim 1. Catalyze CTS by engaging researchers, providers and community partners. We will engage researchers and establish unique partnerships across and beyond Penn State. We will capitalize on vast sources of health-relevant data to inform novel approaches to health concerns and social and environmental implications, particularly as they relate to our rural population. We will integrate rural community engagement and collaboration through community activities, consultation services, workforce training, and pilot projects. Aim 2. Promote CTS through innovation and investigator-centered research infrastructure that accelerates protocol development and study completion while ensuring scientific rigor and reproducibility. CTSI provides expansive research support and services to conduct CTS research and clinical trials that meet the needs of the communities we serve. We will pursue the establishment of an academic Clinical Informatics Research Division at the CoM and promote integration with the sophisticated informatics capabilities across Penn State. These efforts will empower scientists across the University. Aim 3. Effectively share resources and expertise through collaboration with other CTSA Hubs and the Consortium. We are active members of the CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Award) Consortium. We will increase our interactions, focusing on Hub collaborations germane to rural communities. Aim 4. Educate a new generation of health professionals and CTS scholars, and empower them to conduct funded, innovative and interdisciplinary research. The Institute will be the focal point for the training of a diverse and expanding CTS workforce of scholars and professionals across Penn State, the CTSA Consortium and our new partnerships.