UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science receives $24 million NIH grant
Funding continues campus effort to speed scientific discoveries into medical advances
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 5, 2019 – The Institute for Clinical & Translational Science at the University of California, Irvine has been awarded $24 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health as part of its Clinical & Translational Science Awards program.
Marking the third successful and highly competitive funding cycle for UCI’s ICTS, the grant will be used to initiate and extend efforts to speed the transformation of scientific discoveries into medical advances for patients.
“As a top public research university and a major healthcare provider in Orange County, it is our mission at UCI to dedicate ourselves to supporting and encouraging the translation of biomedical research into new and better cures and treatments,” said Dr. Michael J. Stamos, dean of the School of Medicine. “This generous federal funding will sustain our pursuit of better healthcare for all.”
Added Dr. Dan M. Cooper, ICTS director and professor of pediatrics at UCI: “With this award, the institute will continue to lead the development of innovative approaches. It will also enable us to expand the reach of our work to diverse communities, setting new standards for clinical research in the U.S. for a generation to come.”
Projects supported by the grant include:
- Training the next generation of clinical research leaders through programs that highlight diversity and accessibility
- Boosting participation in UCI clinical trials among special populations, such as the homeless, babies and children, veterans, the elderly, and the Latino and Asian American communities
- Establishing a clinical data warehouse that will leverage the electronic medical record into a powerful tool for healthcare breakthroughs
- Accelerating a wide range of discoveries and innovations, such as employing robotics in rehabilitation and harnessing the unrealized potential of school-based physical fitness testing to achieve and maintain optimal health across the lifespan
“A major goal of our ICTS is to partner with the 3.5 million people in our diverse communities and serve as a laboratory for translational science – integrating data gathering and evaluation to develop, demonstrate and disseminate novel research tools that can palpably advance health here in Orange County, across the country and throughout the world,” Cooper said.
Since receiving its first Clinical & Translational Science Award in 2010, UCI – through the ICTS – has drastically multiplied the number of incoming grants, stimulated important scientific discoveries, and worked with community partners to identify and resolve health needs in the region. To date, the ICTS has provided a safe and comfortable clinical center for more than 27,000 encounters with research volunteers, rendered services or support to 1,112 investigators, helped generate 1,468 peer-reviewed papers published in major biomedical journals, and been instrumental in securing $789 million in grants for UCI researchers.
Recent ICTS successes include:
- Incubating UCI research in heart valve replacement technology, leading to the creation of a new biotech company
- Partnering with Orange County’s Healthier Together initiative to identify and prioritize health challenges in the region
- Providing mentorship and support for more than 100 UCI medical students engaged in research ranging from cervical cancer detection in Tanzania to novel ways to accelerate stroke rehabilitation
- Collaborating with scientific leaders at Stanford University and UC San Diego to transform flow cytometry, an invaluable tool in cancer detection, using artificial intelligence
- Building a coalition of Clinical & Translational Science Award recipients from UCI, UC San Francisco, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Davis to integrate healthcare research across the state
UCI’s ICTS was the first medical research institution in Orange County – and the seventh statewide – to win a competitive Clinical & Translational Science Award. Today, it’s one of more than 60 organizations across the nation that receive such funding.
About UCI’s Institute for Clinical & Translational Science: Founded in 2006, the ICTS is the lynchpin of UCI’s clinical research efforts. Since receiving the first of three NIH Clinical & Translational Science Awards in 2010, the ICTS has transformed clinical research across the UCI Health enterprise by breaking down traditional academic silos, building robust partnerships in diverse communities and engendering innovative projects.
About the Clinical & Translational Science Awards: Launched in 2006 by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Science, the CTSA program is designed to foster creative solutions to improve the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning discoveries in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. To learn more, see https://ncats.nih.gov/ctsa/about.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.