UC San Diego awarded $80 million to expand clinical trials and train tomorrow's researcher leaders

(Press-News.org) The University of California San Diego's Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute (ACTRI) has received a seven-year, $80 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health.

This prestigious award is the fourth consecutive CTSA awarded to the institute since it was established in 2008 and represents one of the largest federal research grants at the university.

"This award underscores the national significance of ACTRI’s work and the trust placed in our ability to accelerate progress in human health,” said John Carethers, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Sciences at UC San Diego. “It affirms UC San Diego’s leadership in building a more equitable and efficient research ecosystem — one that translates scientific discovery into better health outcomes for all. Through ACTRI and its expanding network of partners, we are not only advancing science, but also strengthening our communities and training the innovators who will shape the future of health.”

The award supports ACTRI’s vision to create a more responsive clinical research ecosystem that impacts communities across Southern California, accelerates scientific discovery, increases access to ground-breaking therapies and fosters the next generation of health innovators. This vision is made possible by countless staff and faculty who work tirelessly to create a unique resource for clinical research and contributed to the success of the CTSA proposal.

"We're taking cutting-edge discoveries, from molecular biology to artificial intelligence (AI), and turning them into treatments that improve people's lives," said Davey Smith, M.D., assistant vice chancellor for clinical and translational science at UC San Diego Health Sciences, director of ACTRI, and co-principal investigator of the CTSA. "It's about bridging the gap between science and care, and doing it faster, smarter, and more fairly."

ACTRI is an essential partner in most of the clinical research conducted at UC San Diego, providing a wide range of support for researchers to advance their projects, such as shared scientific resources, clinical trial administrative support, and access to funding opportunities only available to clinical and translational research projects.

The institute also serves as one of 60 coordinating hubs supported by the CTSA program, allowing a wide network of partner institutions to access ACTRI’s resources alongside researchers at UC San Diego. The new grant adds Eisenhower Health, Rady Children’s Hospital, the VA San Diego Healthcare System, and El Centro Regional Medical Center to this group, which already includes Mesa College, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and Sanford Burnham Prebys.

“We’re linking data across institutions, streamlining research processes, and shortening the distance between discovery and real-world use,” added  Michael Hogarth, M.D., co-principal investigator of the CTSA, professor of biomedical informatics at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Chief Clinical Research Information Officer for the UC San Diego Health system.

In addition to supporting established researchers, ACTRI also prioritizes workforce development programs, including the ACTRI K12 program, which provides mentored fellowship opportunities for early-career scientists, and the Creating Dedicated Scientists through Research Education (CADRE) program, which provides research experience for students at  Mesa College. ACTRI also facilitates bootcamps, hands-on training initiatives and a leadership academy. The new CTSA will allow ACTRI to increase the reach and impact of these programs.

"We're cultivating future leaders ready to accelerate medical breakthroughs," said Colin Depp, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the ACTRI K12 program. “That includes students at community colleges, junior faculty at partner institutions, and veterans transitioning into health careers. This award gives them a path forward.”

This CTSA builds on a record of high-impact, community-centered research. Investigators from ACTRI’s network of partners helped lead global trials for the first gene-targeted therapy for ALS, launched dozens of pediatric studies, and supported the development of COVID-19 vaccine studies in border communities. Community-driven programs have expanded food security and wastewater surveillance as well as helped address local health emergencies, from Tijuana River sewage to Gulf War illness.

"With this award, we're not just advancing research – we're transforming the way we approach human health," added Smith "We're honored to lead this effort and look forward to the many breakthroughs that will emerge over the next seven years thanks to this funding.”

The CTSA includes two grants, awarded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, titled “Clinical and Translational Science Award” (UM1TR005449) and “Mentored Research Career Development Program Award in Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program” (K12TR005441).

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