Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) has received a $58.4 million grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand its work in translational research, a multidisciplinary effort that aims to speed the discovery and development of new medical therapies. This grant is the third and largest Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) bestowed on the Herbert and Florence Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, a partnership of CUMC and NewYork-Presbyterian.
This new five-year grant will allow the Irving Institute to:
- Increase its focus on precision medicine in alignment with Columbia University’s Precision Medicine Initiative, by providing substantial resources for training and research in this emerging branch of medicine and for developing translational therapeutics.
- Integrate special and underserved populations, including children, older adults, people with rare diseases, and individuals with HIV/AIDS, into Columbia’s translational research efforts across the human lifespan.
- Lead or participate in national and international clinical research networks using innovative ‘big data’ approaches to increase the quality and efficiency of large-scale, multisite translational and genomic research.
- Nurture a cadre of extraordinary junior scientists with diverse backgrounds.
Along with two previous grants, of $54.1 million in 2006 and $38.9 million in 2011, the Irving Institute has received more than $151 million in CTSA Program funding.
Through its CTSA Program, NCATS funds a consortium of about 60 academic research institutes that are working to more efficiently translate laboratory, clinic, and community observations into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. CTSA Program research centers serve as local and regional hubs that catalyze innovation in training, research tools, and processes.
Since 2006, the Irving Institute has supported more than 2,200 investigators at CUMC and NewYork-Presbyterian by:
- Training more than 1,000 promising junior scientists through long-term and short-term programs, including KL2 mentored career development programs, TL1 pre-doctoral traineeships, and Reach for the R01 grant-writing courses.
- Awarding $8.3 million in seed funding to 285 research projects. Pilot data generated by these projects have garnered more than $72 million in subsequent grant funding and resulted in 220 publications.
- Supporting 228 investigators to conduct more than 85,000 adult and pediatric inpatient and outpatient research visits in the Irving Institute facilities at CUMC.
- Hosting more than 300 seminars, workshops, and events on scientific topics, including precision medicine, community-based participatory research, ethics, and biomedical informatics.
- Providing more than 1,500 consultations on research study design and biostatistics.
- Launching a Precision Medicine Resource that provides funding for pilot research projects, fellowships, and educational programs.
- Creating an offsite community center in Washington Heights that provides access to bilingual health information and meeting space for community-based organizations and researchers.
- Developing new services to enhance the efficiency of research conducted at CUMC, including a liaison to the Institutional Review Board, navigators for the Clinical Data Warehouse, scientific profiles for supporting team science, and a consultation service for making research materials more appropriate to the health literacy needs of research participants.
“It is, of course, extremely gratifying to have received our third CTSA Program grant,” said Henry N. Ginsberg, MD, Director of the Irving Institute and associate dean for clinical and translational research. “During the past 10 years, funding from our CTSA Program hub has played a pivotal role in training and supporting young investigators, providing critical infrastructure support for both preclinical and patient-oriented research, and developing collaborations with the communities of Northern Manhattan.”
Recently appointed Director Designate of the Irving Institute, Muredach P. Reilly, MB, MS, added, “In the next five years, this award will launch new programs that complement the Precision Medicine Initiative of Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian while continuing our important work in areas of training, multidisciplinary team science, data science infrastructure innovation and development, and community engagement in clinical and translational research.”
“Continued support from the CTSA Program is a testament to the Irving Institute’s commitment to the kind of collaborative, global research that is required to bring new discoveries to patients as quickly as possible,” said Lee Goldman, MD, Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine and Chief Executive of CUMC.
“The Irving Institute is conducting some of the most promising research today, especially with regards to precision medicine,” said Steven J. Corwin, MD, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian. “This grant represents an investment in the search for the next generation of highly effective, personalized therapies for all patients.”
“I am proud that the Irving Institute will receive this well-deserved additional funding,” said Congressman Charles B. Rangel (NY-13). “The grant will continue to transform the lives of my constituents and those patients who benefit from Columbia’s groundbreaking research and advanced medical treatments. I congratulate Dean Goldman and Dr. Ginsberg for their ongoing leadership and efforts to enhance the quality of health care and services at one of the best medical centers in the world.”
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
