Director's Message
I often write about how the inefficiencies so prevalent in the translational process can be turned into opportunities when viewed through the lens of innovation. A striking example is a current statistic in drug development: 80 percent of drugs that enter human testing are never approved for use.
Read more in the latest Director's Message.
Christopher P. Austin, M.D.
What's New at NCATS?
NCATS Announces New Awards to Repurpose Pharmaceutical Assets
Lamirande to Lead NCATS Executive Office
NCATS Job Opportunity: Biology Group Leader, Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation
NCATS Issues 2014 Annual Report
CTSA Domain Task Forces: Spotlight on Collaboration and Engagement
NCATS' NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program Trainees Participate in Symposium, Receive Awards
Researchers Publish Perspective on NIH Molecular Libraries Program
Tissue Chip Wins "Design of the Year"
Access NCATS Resources for Small Business Grant Funding
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS Announces New Awards to Repurpose Pharmaceutical Assets
Through its Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules program, NCATS recently awarded nearly $3 million to support four academic research groups to test a selection of pharmaceutical industry assets for new therapeutic uses. Read the full announcement.
Lamirande to Lead NCATS Executive Office
Keith R. Lamirande, M.B.A., is NCATS' new associate director for administration and executive officer. He will join the Center on Aug. 9, 2015. Read the full announcement.
NCATS Job Opportunity: Biology Group Leader, Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation
NCATS seeks applications from qualified candidates to direct the RNA Interference Screening Core Facility, located within the Center's intramural research program and composed of several biological scientists with informatics, automation, compound management and project management support. View the job description and apply.
NCATS Issues 2014 Annual Report
Read NCATS' newly released annual report (PDF - 2MB), which features its 2014 major milestones, programs and initiatives. Discover more about the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program, Toxicology in the 21st Century initiative and the Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules program, among other efforts to advance translational science.
CTSA Domain Task Forces: Spotlight on Collaboration and Engagement
Through its new streamlined communications structure, experts in NCATS' Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program are addressing objectives outlined in the Institute of Medicine report on the program and the NCATS Advisory Council Working Group report (PDF - 414KB). The CTSA Collaboration Engagement Domain Task Force (DTF), led by Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, Davis Health System, and Julian Solway, M.D., of the University of Chicago, along with guidance from NCATS' Meryl Sufian, Ph.D., recently shared some of the progress.
As a first step, the group selected four community members who represent rural and underserved populations, community-based organizations, and hospital/health systems to serve on the DTF. These members will provide input as ideas are generated and prioritized. The group also established three working groups to focus on the following topics:
- Measures for Assessing and Improving Collaborations
- Compensation for Community Members of the DTFs
- Community Research Training and Education for Community Members and University Researchers (a joint group with the Workforce Development DTF)
Next steps include an upcoming orientation and training session for all DTF community representatives. Learn more about the Collaboration Engagement DTF.
NCATS' NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program Trainees Participate in Symposium, Receive Awards
NCATS' NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars program trainees Ian Goldlust, Mike Gormally and Monica Kasbekar participated in a program symposium on June 23 at the University of Cambridge, Downing College, United Kingdom. Gormally won the "Innovator of the Year" award, and Kasbekar won the award for "Best Presentation."
Researchers Publish Perspective on NIH Molecular Libraries Program
In the June 4, 2015, issue of Cell, NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., and other authors describe how novel small molecule probes identified through NIH's former Molecular Libraries Program (MLP) are enabling the exploration of biological pathways and therapeutic hypotheses not otherwise testable. These probes are helping translational scientists bridge the gap between biological research and the development of medicines. Austin helped plan and implement the MLP program while at the National Human Genome Research Institute. He also led the NIH Chemical Genomics Center, now the NCATS Chemical Genomics Center. Read the full perspective to learn more.
Meet More of NCATS' Key Staff
Penny Burgoon, Ph.D., is director of the NCATS Office of Science Policy and Danilo A. Tagle, Ph.D., M.S., is associate director for special initiatives at NCATS. Learn more about Burgoon and Tagle — and many other NCATS staff members — via NCATS' staff profile pages. Check back often to meet more of our team!
Tissue Chip Wins "Design of the Year"
NCATS-supported researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University recently won "Design of the Year" from London's revered Design Museum for their human organs-on-chips. The chips and 75 other 2015 nominees are on display through March 31, 2016, in the Designs of the Year Awards Exhibition at the Design Museum in London. Learn more about NCATS Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program and read more about the award.
Access NCATS Resources for Small Business Grant Funding
The 2015 Omnibus Solicitation for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs is now open. The first application deadline for PA-15-269 (SBIR) and PA-15-270 (STTR) is Sept. 8, 2015. The Center is also accepting SBIR Direct Phase II grant applications.
NCATS hosted an SBIR and STTR informational webinar on June 11, 2015. Visit the Small Business Resources page to access the archived webinar and find tips for submitting a successful application. Interested applicants should e-mail NCATS-SBIRSTTR@mail.nih.gov with an abstract to discuss a potential project idea.
Upcoming Events
August
Genomic Integrity
Join NCATS and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development on August 1–5, 2015, for a meeting on genomic integrity in Cairns, Australia. The goals of the meeting are to identify new avenues of investigation, to define therapeutic strategies for the maintenance of genomic integrity, to stimulate collaborations and to foster the long-term development of this critical research area.
September
NCATS Advisory Council/CAN Review Board to Meet September 3
On Sept. 3, 2015, NCATS will hold a joint meeting of the NCATS Advisory Council and the Cures Acceleration Network (CAN) Review Board on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting will feature reports from NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., and other presenters about the Center's initiatives, policies, programs and future direction. For more information, visit NCATS Advisory Council and CAN Review Board.
NCATS in the News
- NCATS Matches Researchers with Pharmaceutical Industry Assets to Test Ideas for New Therapies • NCATS • July 22, 2015
- Lamirande to Lead NCATS Executive Office • NCATS • July 9, 2015
- Study Shows Long-Term Effects of Type 2 Diabetes on the Brain, Thinking • American Academy of Neurology • July 8, 2015
- Type 2 Diabetes May Damage Thinking Skills: Study • U.S. News & World Report via HealthDay • July 8, 2015
- Why Can't We Fall Asleep? • The New Yorker • July 7, 2015
- Organ-on-Polymer-Chip Technology Named Design of the Year by Prestigious UK Awards Program • Plastics Today • July 6, 2015
- Enriched Blood Cells Preserve Cognition in Mice with Features of Alzheimer's Disease • DementiaToday • July 6, 2015
- Gene Mutation Didn't Slow Down High School Senior • The Los Angeles Times • July 5, 2015
- Organ-On-Chip Could Revolutionize Drug Testing • Newsweek • July 4, 2015
- This Microchip That Could Reduce Animal Testing Has Designers Excited • The Conversation • July 3, 2015
- Researchers Repurpose Technology to Reduce Psychological and Physical Scars of Burn Injuries • Newswise • June 30, 2015
- URMC Set to Launch Certificate Program in Data Science • Rochester Business Journal • June 24, 2015
- Two Numbers: Millions Suffer From Orphan Diseases, With Little Help on the Way •Newsweek • June 24, 2015
- A Chip That Mimics Human Organs Is the Design of the Year • Wired • June 23, 2015
- The 'Smart' Insulin Patch That Might One Day Replace Injections for Diabetic Patients •The Washington Post • June 22, 2015
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS researchers are seeking collaborators in the following areas:
Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs)
Through its BrIDGs program, NCATS assists researchers in advancing promising therapeutic agents through late-stage pre-clinical development toward an Investigational New Drug application and clinical testing. The 2015 project solicitation is coming soon; stay tuned to NCATS for more information.
NCATS Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC)
NCATS offers biomedical researchers access to large-scale screening capacity and medicinal chemistry and informatics expertise to develop chemical probe molecules. These resources can help scientists study the functions of genes, cells and biochemical pathways. For inquiries or to obtain NCGC probe molecules, contact Ajit Jadhav. NCATS researchers also seek collaborators for assay development and high-throughput screening, chemistry and chemistry technology, automation, and informatics.
NIH RNA Interference (RNAi) Initiative
Through the NIH RNAi initiative, NCATS provides state-of-the-art, high-throughput RNAi genome-wide screens for humans and mice to NIH intramural researchers. For more information, contact Madhu Lal-Nag, Ph.D.
Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) for NIH Researchers
NCATS is facilitating a collaboration with Pfizer's CTI program at NIH, which pairs NIH intramural researchers and clinicians with Pfizer resources to pursue scientific and medical advances through joint therapeutic development of biologic compounds. To apply, submit a completed pre-proposal brief to your NIH Institute or Center's technology transfer office by Oct. 16, 2015. Download the pre-proposal brief template (Word - 37KB) and view pre-proposal submission instructions.
Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND)
NCATS soon will be accepting proposals through its TRND program for collaborative projects that focus on pre-clinical and early clinical development of new drugs for rare and neglected tropical diseases. The 2015 project solicitation is coming soon; stay tuned to NCATS for more information.
Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21)
The goal of the Tox21 program is to test 10,000 chemicals and evaluate their potential to cause health problems. Any investigator may propose the development of biological assays for high-throughput screening. To suggest an assay, submit a nomination form (PDF - 44KB) to Menghang Xia, Ph.D. Proposed assays must be compatible with the high-throughput screening guidelines described in the assay guidance criteria.