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
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
CTSA Program Researchers Partner with Barbershops to Cut High Blood Pressure
Black men are more likely to die from complications of high blood pressure than any other group in the U.S. To tackle this disparity, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California, Los Angeles, a CTSA Program hub, are pairing pharmacists with barbershops to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
- CTSA Program Hubs Collaborate to Assess Community Engagement
- NCATS-Supported Researchers Demonstrate Value in Community-Based Research Consultation Service
- NCATS Enables Scientists, Community Clinicians to Collaborate on Health Initiatives
Goal 3: Promote the Integration of Special and Underserved Populations in Translational Research across the Human Lifespan
CTSA Program Researchers Advance Heart Condition Study Through Precision Medicine and Digital Health
Researchers at the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego, a CTSA Program hub, are working to address the challenge of diagnosing atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition with complex causes. The team’s efforts can ultimately help advance precision medicine approaches to preventing and diagnosing other types of complex diseases.
- CTSA Program Investigators Collaborate to Enhance Newborn Screening
- Unprecedented Trans-NCATS Collaboration Enables Rapid Advancement of Rare Lung Disease Therapy to Human Trials
- CTSA Program-Supported Research Uncovers Genetic Components of Healthy Aging
Goal 4: Innovate Processes to Increase the Quality and Efficiency of Translational Research, Particularly of Multisite Trials
A Model for Accelerating Translational Research in Real Time
Investigators from the CTSA Program hub at the Medical College of Wisconsin have devised and piloted an innovative approach called Real-Time IRB that reduces the time between study submission to the institutional review board and final approval by 70 percent.
- NCATS-Supported Research Shows Potential for Altering Body Fat
- CTSA Program Researchers Shed Light on Improved Melanoma Treatment
- NCATS-Supported Study Highlights Troubling Trend in Opioid Prescribing
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
CTSA Program support enabled the early development and “de-risking” of an 
Rupa Patel, M.D., M.P.H., a CTSA Program