Director's Message
I often write about the NCATS goal to develop, demonstrate and disseminate innovations that speed the translational research process. But what is this "translational science process," and why is improving it so difficult?
Read more in the latest Director's Message.
Christopher P. Austin, M.D.
What's New at NCATS?
NCATS Seeks Input for Strategic Plan
NCATS' Pre-Clinical Programs Now Accepting Collaborative Proposals
Save the Date for Rare Disease Day at NIH
NCATS Announces CTSA Program Hub Awards
CTSA Program Hubs Host Common Rule Meetings
NCATS Director Austin Elected to National Academy of Medicine
Ramsey-Ewing Named NCATS OGMSR Director
Data Released on Drug Combinations to Treat Malaria
NCATS Science Featured at 2015 NIH Research Festival
CTSA Program Domain Task Forces: Spotlight on Integration Across the Lifespan
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS Seeks Input for Strategic Plan
NCATS currently is seeking input on the scientific and operational opportunities, challenges and research needs in translational science to help set the Center's strategic priorities and inform the development of a five-year strategic plan. Details about how to provide feedback are outlined in NOT-TR-16-002. The deadline for comments is Jan. 8, 2016.
NCATS is holding a series of informational webinars; the remaining two will take place November 4 and 10. Learn more about these events and the strategic planning process.
NCATS' Pre-Clinical Programs Now Accepting Collaborative Proposals
NCATS now is accepting proposals to collaborate with scientists from the Bridging Interventional Development Gaps and Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases programs. Read the full announcement.
Save the Date for Rare Disease Day at NIH
NIH will host its next Rare Disease Day on Feb. 29, 2016. The event aims to raise awareness about rare diseases, the patients they affect and the research collaborations that are addressing rare disease challenges. Sponsored by NCATS and the NIH Clinical Center, the event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Masur Auditorium in Building 10 on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The day will feature tours, posters and exhibits, and presentations. NCATS will provide more information as it becomes available.
NCATS Announces CTSA Program Hub Awards
Turning scientific discoveries into clinical advances often takes too long. To help address challenges and get more treatments to more patients more quickly, NCATS announced new funding for 18 Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program hubs on Oct. 1, 2015. Read the full announcement.
CTSA Program Hubs Host Common Rule Meeting
In September 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, known as the Common Rule. The NPRM seeks comment on proposals to better protect human subjects involved in research. To enhance understanding and facilitate public discussion about the proposed changes and their implications, representatives from NCATS' Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program are hosting a series of informational meetings in October and November. Learn more about these events.
NCATS Director Austin Elected to National Academy of Medicine
National Academy of Medicine (NAM) President Victor J. Dzau, M.D., recently announced NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., as a newly elected NAM member effective Oct. 1, 2015. Read the NAM news release.
Ramsey-Ewing Named NCATS OGMSR Director
On Sept. 20, 2015, Anna L. Ramsey-Ewing, Ph.D., joined NCATS as director of the Office of Grants Management and Scientific Review. Her new role also will include leading NCATS' conference management services. Read the full announcement.
Data Released on Drug Combinations to Treat Malaria
NCATS researchers and collaborators from NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Georgetown University, and the University of California, San Francisco, have released a large dataset of potential drug combinations to treat malaria. Using NCATS' state-of-the-art high-throughput combination drug screening platform, Center researchers tested 13,910 combinations of known and newly identified antimalarial drugs in three parasite lines. The results were published in the Sept. 25, 2015, issue of Scientific Reports. Read the full feature.
NCATS Science Featured at 2015 NIH Research Festival
Researchers from NCATS and other NIH Institutes and Centers recently showcased their work at the 2015 NIH Research Festival to share insights on scientific advances made by intramural investigators. The annual event took place September 16-18 at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
More than 20 NCATS scientists co-authored research posters on rare diseases, cancer and informatics. In addition, NCATS scientists highlighted the Center's collaborative programs available to the intramural community, such as RNA Interference and Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) for NIH Researchers. Read more in the NIH Record.
CTSA Program Domain Task Forces: Spotlight on Integration Across the Lifespan
The Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program Integration Across the Lifespan Domain Task Force (DTF) is part of the CTSA Program Steering Committee that advises NCATS leadership. Led by Shari Barkin, M.D., M.S.H.S., Vanderbilt University, and Thomas Shanley, M.D., Northwestern University, with guidance from NCATS program officer Mary Purucker, M.D., Ph.D., the DTF's goals are to:
- Integrate translational science across the entire lifespan to achieve health improvements,
- Launch efforts to study special population differences in the progress and treatment of disease processes, and
- Develop a seamless, integrated approach to translational science across all phases of research.
The DTF currently has three workgroups:
- Aging: Co-led by Karen Bandeen-Roche, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, and Elena Volpi, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch, group members have discussed several potential projects including identification of biomarkers to predict frailty and strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of older adults (age 75+) into clinical trials. The group also is considering a project on how to leverage home health monitoring for the collection of research data, for which it will seek input from the broader community conducting aging-related research, such as the Gerontological Society of America.
- Early Life Exposures: Co-led by William W. Hay, Jr., M.D., University of Colorado, Denver, and James E. Heubi, M.D., University of Cincinnati, this group will investigate the relationship between environmental exposures and developmental outcomes. Currently, group members are determining how best to identify and leverage existing long-term research participant cohorts at CTSA Program hubs and are exploring possible synergies and collaborative opportunities with PCORnet.
- Single Disease: Led by Nancy Green, M.D., Columbia University, group members are investigating single diseases projected across the lifespan with the goal of better understanding the progress of the disease as well as critical transitions. Such information might be used to design a natural history study, develop age-appropriate outcome measures, or develop protocols to improve the transition of clinical care, such as between pediatric and adult patients. The group initially will focus on sickle cell disease and later may expand to include cystic fibrosis and other diseases. One approach under consideration is to develop a clinical database that spans CTSA Program hubs using electronic health records.
Meet More of NCATS' Key Staff
Mohan Viswanathan, Ph.D., is the acting director of NCATS' Office of Scientific Review; Bryan T. Mott, Ph.D., is a chemistry staff scientist in the NCATS Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation. Learn more about Viswanathan and Mott — and many other NCATS staff members — via NCATS' Staff Profiles. Check back often to meet more of our team!
Upcoming Events
NCATS Strategic Plan Town Hall Webinars
NCATS seeks input on the scientific and operational challenges, opportunities and research needs in translational science to help set the Center's strategic priorities and inform the development of a five-year strategic plan. Details about how to provide feedback are outlined in NOT-TR-16-002. The deadline for comments is Jan. 8, 2016. To facilitate the feedback process, NCATS will hold a series of informational webinars, next on November 4 and 10.
Proposed Changes to Federal Regulations for Human Subjects Research (Common Rule) Meeting Series
In September 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, known as the Common Rule. To enhance understanding and facilitate a robust exchange of ideas among members of the public about the proposed changes and their implications, representatives from NCATS' Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program are hosting a series of meetings:
- October 29: Streamlining Institutional Review Board Review
- November 5: Revising and Expanding the Scope of the Common Rule
- November 18: Enhancing and Clarifying Consent Forms and Establishing Standard Safeguards
Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) at NIH Workshop
On November 10, NCATS and Pfizer representatives will host a workshop for NIH intramural researchers to discuss collaboration opportunities through Pfizer's CTI for NIH Researchers program. The workshop will feature discussion with a current academic collaborator.
10th Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference
On October 28-29, the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute will hold the 10th annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference. NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., will deliver the afternoon keynote address, "Catalyzing Translational Innovation," on October 29, focusing on the Center's role in stem cell research collaborations.
Seventh Annual Partnering for Cures Conference
On November 1-3, FasterCures will hold its seventh annual Partnering for Cures conference, bringing together hundreds of patient advocates, researchers, investors, and policy- and decision-makers to fostering the collaborations needed to reduce the time and cost required to move new therapies from discovery to patients. On November 2, NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., will participate in a panel discussion titled, "Disruptors' Academy: What's next for venture philanthropy?" examining venture philanthropies as strategic partners who can help advance the research and development objectives of cross-sector collaborators in the service of patients.
2015 Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting & I2C Conference
On November 2-3, FLC will hold its 2015 Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting & I2C Conference with the theme of "Innovation through Collaboration." NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., will deliver the keynote address on November 3, followed by panel discussions on commercialization, innovation and financing.
Visit the NCATS Events page for more information about all Center-related events and activities.
NCATS in the News
- NCATS' Pre-Clinical Programs Now Accepting Collaborative Proposals • NCATS • Oct. 22, 2015
- NAM Elects 80 New Members • National Academy of Medicine • Oct. 19, 2015
- Can a Cancer Drug Reverse Parkinson's Disease? • KRWG News22 • Oct. 17, 2015
- Study Finds Poor Eating Habits Among Cancer Survivors • MedPage Today • Oct. 14, 2015
- Ramsey-Ewing Joins NCATS as OGMSR Director • NCATS • Oct. 13, 2015
- NCATS Director Statement on the Strategic Plan • NCATS • Oct. 8, 2015
- Making the Connections: Study Links Brain's Wiring to Human Traits • NIH Director's Blog • Oct. 6, 2015
- NCATS Announces CTSA Program Hub Awards to Help Transform How Clinical and Translational Science Is Conducted Nationwide • NCATS • Oct. 1, 2015
- NIH Awards ~$144 Million in Research on Environmental Influences on Child Health and Development • NIH • Sept. 28, 2015
- MIT Develops Personalized Heart Models for Surgical Planning • eWeek • Sept. 28, 2015
- Electricity May Spark Medical Treatment • Boston Globe • Sept. 28, 2015
- Adding Abilify to Antidepressant Can Help Older Adults with Hard-to-Treat Depression • PsychCentral • Sept. 27, 2015
- Orphan Drugs: Rare Diseases, Rare Funding • Laboratory Equipment • Sept. 17, 2015
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS researchers are seeking collaborators in the following areas:
Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs)
Through the 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. NCATS now is accepting proposals on an ongoing basis to collaborate with BrIDGs scientists. For more information, contact BrIDGs@mail.nih.gov.
NCATS Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC)
NCATS' NCGC 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 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 February 2016. For more information, contact NIH-PfizerCTI@mail.nih.gov.
Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND)
The TRND program provides collaborators with access to significant in-kind resources and expertise to develop new therapeutics for rare and neglected diseases. NCATS now is accepting proposals on an ongoing basis through the TRND program for collaborative projects that focus on pre-clinical and early clinical development of new drugs for rare and neglected tropical diseases. For more information, contact TRND@mail.nih.gov.
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.