Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, is Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, Director of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering, the Van Dusen Endowed Chair in Academic Medicine and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Matthew J. Cook, MPH is the CICATS webmaster and a research associate 2 in the Biomedical Informatics Division. He also maintains the CICATS social media accounts and CICATS Profiles.
Photos from the CICATS Mini-Retreat
Photos from the CICATS mini-retreat held November 1-2, 2011 at the UConn Cell and Genome Sciences Building. All photos Matthew J. Cook / UConn Health Center unless otherwise noted.
CICATS Mini-Retreat on Nov 1 and 2
Given the context of recent biomedical science developments in the region and nationally, we would like to invite all CICATS members to an information and planning mini-retreat to explore the future of CICATS and biomedical research at the University and its partner institutions. The Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) was established in 2009 in order to: 1) translate laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients; 2) engage Connecticut communities in clinical research efforts; and 3) train a new generation of clinical and translational researchers.
When: Tuesday, November 1 (6:00-8:00 PM) & Wednesday, November 2, 2011 (8:30 AM–1:00 PM)
Who should attend?: All members of CICATS and other interested members of the clinical and translational science community in the Greater Hartford region.
Location: UConn Cell and Genome Sciences Building, 400 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT » Directions
RSVP: Stacey Anderson, 860.679.6213 or sanderson@uchc.edu
Download the CICATS Retreat Agenda here.
Legislature approves Jackson Lab Personalized Medicine Institute
Artist rendition of the new lab on the UConn Health Center campus
Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine will be built on 17 acres on the lower campus of the Health Center. It’s estimated the project will create 661 research-related jobs and an estimated 6,200 spinoff and indirect jobs. The total 20-year capital and research budget for the institute is projected to be $1.1 billion, with Jackson Laboratory providing $809 million through federal research grants, philanthropy and service income, and the state contributing $291 million including $192 million in a construction loan and $99 million in research partnership participation.
The attraction of The Jackson Laboratory to Connecticut is a result of the state’s investment in Bioscience Connecticut. The project will enable Connecticut to assume a position of global leadership in developing new medical treatments tailored to each patient’s unique genetic makeup.
The building will be 250,000 square feet of state-of-the-art lab space. Officials estimate construction will begin in early 2013 and be completed by the end of 2014.
Creating Stem Cells to Repair Joint Cartilage
Dr. Caroline Dealy, associate professor, discusses her research developing stem cell therapies for joint cartilage repair at the UConn Health Center and the future commercialization of the research as part of this UConn Today video.
The work is just one example of the clinical and translational research being conducted at the University and its partner institutions.
Jackson Lab Personalized Medicine Project at UConn Health Center
The new lab will initially feature 173,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art lab space on the UCHC Farmington Campus
Jackson Laboratory, founded in 1929 is one of the oldest genetic research labs in the world focusing on mammals. The project will be called The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine and will be housed on the Farmington campus of the UConn Health Center. The building will initially total 173,000 square feet and eventually total 250,000 square feet. The new lab project is estimated to create 661 research-related jobs, 842 construction jobs and an estimated 6,200 in spinoff and indirect jobs.
According to Gov. Malloy, Jackson’s coming to Connecticut is a direct result of the state’s investment in Bioscience Connecticut. The Bioscience Connecticut initiative aims to jump start the state’s economy by generating long term, sustainable economic growth based on bioscience research, innovative, entrepreneurship and commercialization.
Visit UConn Today to read the full story on the new Bioscience Connecticut collaboration.
CICATS Senior Leader Authors Herpes Vaccine Study
Dr. Srivastava
Dr. Pramod Srivastava, physician-scientist, director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a senior investigator for the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at the UConn Health Center recently co-authored two articles in the peer-reviewed journal Vaccine which described promising results in the treatment and prevention of herpes. Dr. Srivastava notes “This is the most promising of all immunological approaches that have been attempted thus far for therapy of genital herpes.”
Read the article in its entirety at UConn Today.
Pediatric Translational Research
Photo of Connecticut Children's
It is no secret in academic medicine that physician-scientists are hard to find and hard to train. Recognizing the need to boost its research portfolio and visibility on the national scene, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center took a bold step as part of its 2007-2012 Strategic Plan in Research. The plan called for identifying promising in-house pediatricians and pediatric surgeons with a strong desire to do translational research and pairing them with senior scientist mentors or mentorship teams at the Health Center. Money is the mother’s milk of science. The plan also called for providing NIH-level support to this select group of investigators-in-training.
Under the steady hands and watchful eyes of Drs. Georgine Burke (Associate Professor of Pediatrics, UCHC and Director of Research, CCMC), Paul Dworkin (Chair, Department of Pediatrics, UCHC and Physician-in-Chief, CCMC), and Fernando Ferrer (Vice-Chairman, Department of Surgery, UCHC and Surgeon-in-Chief, CCMC), Connecticut Children’s is reaping the rewards of its investment and vision.
At the Health Center, there is now a cadre of pediatric translational investigators studying a variety of disease processes that threaten the health and well being of children. Though their work is in diverse areas, it is unified by two over-arching themes: inflammation/tissue damage and tissue repair. Several of these investigators already have had considerable success in the funding arena, garnering K awards and R01s. To showcase their achievements, CCMC and the Health Center are jointly sponsoring a monthly Pediatric Translational Research Seminars Series held on Fridays at 2pm, E2036. In addition to CCMC-supported researchers, the series also features eminent outside guest speakers.
Next month, October 7, Dr. Juan Salazar (Associate Professor of Pediatrics, UCHC and Director, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, CCMC) will be speaking on “Innate Immunity and Spirochete Recognition”. The entire schedule for 2011-2012 can be downloaded here in PDF.
Post contributed by Justin D Radolf, MD
Research Networking Tool, CICATS Profiles, Launches
Looking for a collaborator, expert, or mentor for your next grant proposal or paper?
Search CICATS Profiles, a brand new web-based research networking and expertise mining tool at http://profiles.uconn.edu. Profiles allows you to:
- Discover who has worked on similar research topics
- Gain new insight into your own publishing record
- Graph your network of co-authors and their co-authors to find new collaborators
- Map research connections across campus or throughout Greater Hartford
- Find a mentor or adviser for your research project, thesis or dissertation
- Manage your own research profile and develop a network of associates
- Find out once and for all what the people down the hall really do!
CICATS Profiles available at http://profiles.uconn.edu
Profiles provides access to information about more than 420 researchers, 12,700 publications, 11 CICATS partner institutions in the Greater Hartford region, and 25 biomedical institutions nationwide.
Don’t have a profile yet? Join the vibrant network of over 500 individuals interested in clinical and translational science to obtain your own FREE profile plus gain access to other research services and resources. Become a Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) member today at http://cicats.uconn.edu/app/signup.jsp.
CICATS Profiles is administered by the CICATS Gateway and Biomedical Informatics Division with support from University Information Technology Services (UITS).
Matthew J. Cook, MPH