CTSA INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AIDS RESEARCH

This subproject represents an estimate of the percentage of the CTSA funding that is being utilized for a broad area of research (AIDS research, pediatric research, or clinical trials). The Total Cost listed is only an estimate of the amount of CTSA infrastructure going towards this area of research, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. This revised application (A2) responds to the CTSA initiative to establish and sustain an academic-community partnership for clinical and translational research/To achieve this goal, we created the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) founded on successful inter-dependent programs, including pediatric and adult patient research facilities, core laboratories, a K30 clinical research training program expanded to include a PhD n clinical investigation, and an NCRR K12 award for Career Development. The ICTR is jointly supported by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center, and actively engages the communities comprising the 1.4 million ethnically diverse population of the Bronx. The ICTR also collaborates with regional and affiliated institutions, including the NYC Department of Health, the North Bronx Health Network, the Clinical Directors Network, Lehman College, and New Rochelle College of Nursing to expand research and training opportunities across the Bronx. The CTSA development process over the past 2 years has engaged a broad array of faculty from a number of disciplines (including medicine, dentistry, nursing, epidemiology, social work, and biomedical sciences) through these transformative partnerships. In parallel with developing Einstein's 2007 Strategic Research Plan, we 1) assessed the barriers within our institutions to cultivate inherent synergies;2) initiated an Institution-wide process of forging interdisciplinary research linkages;3) developed plans to consolidate existing infrastructure that supports clinical/translational research;4) invested in new infrastructure- both physical facilities and programs[unreadable]that support the CTSA mission;5) unified the IRB review process;and 6) emphasized the training and nurturing a cohort of young investigators. The partners in this new Institute jointly provide tangible resources, including a new 200,000 nsf Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine, 30,000 nsf of space for ICTR programs and investigators, a joint Clinical Research Endowment fund, and matching funds to support translational technologies and scholars. The ICTR components are: a) Research Education, Training, and Career Development;b) Design, Biostatistics, and Research Ethics Resource;c) Participant and Clinical r Interaction Resources, including Adult and Pediatric Research Units;d) Community Engagement and Collaboration;e) Regulatory Knowledge and Support;f) Biomedical Informatics;g) Development;Novel Clinical/Translational Methodology "incubators" (Stem Cell Research, Biostatistical Methodologies, Behavioral/Social Science Research, and Epigenomics Research);h) Translational Technologies and Resources (MS Analytic Core, Biorepository, Biomarker Assay Core, Translational Genetics and Genomics Resource, and Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory);i) Pilot &Collaborative Projects;and j) Other key elements (shared facilities and cores, and transdisciplinary research programs). The mission of the ICTR is to enhance clinical and translational research by promoting multidisciplinary collaboration, addressing translational 'blocks'in research, providing infrastructure and collaborative support, and enhancing training, education, and career development.