NCATS-supported scientists are engaged in cutting-edge translational research activities across the United States. Read the latest news about CTSA Program researchers that are collaborating locally, regionally and nationally, fostering innovation in training and methodologies to get more treatments to more patients more quickly.
Learn more about the CTSA Program in Action:
- Goal 1: Train and Cultivate the Translational Science Workforce
- Goal 2: Engage Patients and Communities in Every Phase of the Translational Process
- Goal 3: Promote the Integration of Special and Underserved Populations in Translational Research Across the Human Lifespan
- Goal 4: Innovate Processes to Increase the Quality and Efficiency of Translational Research, Particularly of Multisite Trials
- Goal 5: Advance the Use of Cutting-Edge Informatics
Goal 1: Train and Cultivate the Translational Science Workforce
Staff who work on clinical studies can improve their skills with high-quality training through the DIAMOND portal. The goal of the Development, Implementation, and Assessment of Novel Training in Domain-Based Competencies project is to create well-run clinical trials through well-trained staff.
CTSA Program Researchers Study How Robots Can Help Chronically Sick Children Attend School
The CTSA Program enables a multidisciplinary team of technology and child development experts to study and evaluate how using robots in the classroom could better connect ill children with their teachers and peers, as well as improve learning.
- CTSA Program Supports Early Development and De-Risking of Innovative Heart Valve Technology
- CTSA Program Researcher Studies Barriers to HIV Prevention
- CTSA Program Study Shows Eating Earlier Can Improve Health
Goal 2: Engage Patients and Communities in Every Phase of the Translational Process
Opioids Increase the Risk of Pneumonia
Research, supported in part by the CTSA Program, suggests that opioids can increase a person’s risk for pneumonia that is severe enough to warrant hospitalization.
- CTSA Program Researchers Partner with Barbershops to Cut High Blood Pressure
- CTSA Program Hubs Collaborate to Assess Community Engagement
- NCATS-Supported Researchers Demonstrate Value in Community-Based Research Consultation Service
Goal 3: Promote the Integration of Special and Underserved Populations in Translational Research across the Human Lifespan
NCATS-Supported Researchers Find Exercise May Help Protect DNA
CTSA Program-supported researchers who studied older caregivers found that those who exercised had longer telomeres (the caps that protect the ends of DNA). These findings may lead to better health outcomes for older adults as they age.
- CTSA Program Researchers Advance Heart Condition Study Through Precision Medicine and Digital Health
- CTSA Program Investigators Collaborate to Enhance Newborn Screening
- Unprecedented Trans-NCATS Collaboration Enables Rapid Advancement of Rare Lung Disease Therapy to Human Trials
Goal 4: Innovate Processes to Increase the Quality and Efficiency of Translational Research, Particularly of Multisite Trials
CTSA Program-supported Study of Ketogenic Diet Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease Shows Promise
CTSA Program-supported researchers tested the hypothesis that ketones could serve as a source of energy for the brain in people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study found improved brain function in those with mild AD after a three-month ketogenic diet.
- CTSA Program Supports Research on Rapid Diagnosis of Genetic Diseases in Seriously Ill Children
- CTSA Program Researchers Aim to Improve Health Care from All Sides
- CTSA Program Support Enables Development of Life-Saving Blood Loss Monitor
- CTSA Program Supports Emerging Research on Health Effects of Plastics
- A Model for Accelerating Translational Research in Real Time
Goal 5: Advance the Use of Cutting-Edge Informatics
NCATS-Supported Research Shows Promise for Stretchable, Wearable Electronics
Researchers at the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, a CTSA Program hub at the University of California, San Diego, overcame technological hurdles and found a way to make stretchable electronics in 3-D. This advance could open up new diagnosis and treatment possibilities, such as measuring heart signals, tracking eye movements or controlling a robotic limb.
- New CTSA Program Informatics Center to Create a Nationwide Data Ecosystem
- Improving Patient-Reported Outcome Data for Research through Seamless Integration of the PROMIS Toolkit and Computer-Adaptive Testing Modules into EHR Workflow
- NCATS Supports Novel Methods to Improve Institutional Review Board Efficiencies
Staff who work on clinical studies can improve their skills with high-quality training materials on the 
