The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health's Graduate Training Programs in Clinical Investigation are offering a newly revised Science of Clinical Investigation Certificate Program.

Aimed at scientists, clinicians, and support personnel fully engaged in clinical investigation or its regulation, this five-course certificate series is designed to support translational clinical research by teaching the necessary skills to design, analyze, and interpret clinical investigations and implement studies in compliance with ethical and regulatory norms.

Click here to learn more about this innovative program.

ICTR is pleased to announce the addition of the Office for Imaging Support in Translational Research (OISTeR) service to Connection Request. OISTeR, which is directed by Katarzyna J. Macura, MD, PhD, associate professor of radiology, will provide assistance in the following areas:

• Facilitating access to imaging resources;
• Facilitating access to expert imaging consultants for project design and implementation
• Developing of modality-specific imaging protocols;
• Assisting with imaging-oriented IRB protocol preparation;
• Providing education and training for imaging systems and procedures;
• Managing research imaging data through the Johns Hopkins Medical Image Research Archive Center (JHMIAC); and
• Facilitating interdepartmental collaborations.

To learn more about OISTeR resources, go to http://www.hopkinsradiology.org/OISTeR/.

To request an imaging consultation, log in to ICTR Connection Request with your JHED ID and select "Imaging Support (OISTeR)."

The ICTR has selected the recipients of the third round of Accelerated Translational Incubator Program (ATIP) grants. This pilot project program is designed to provide starter funds for innovative work that specifically focuses on translating laboratory and/or clinical research into the ability to better prevent, treat, or manage disease. By using ATIP funding to support these translational studies in their earliest phases, the ICTR plans to promote the development of new drugs, devices, and diagnostics that will directly improve patient care.

The following investigators were awarded up to $100,000 each.

• Patrizio Caturegli, MD, Associate Professor of Immunology, for A New Serum Test for the Differential Diagnosis of Pituitary Masses"*
• Allen Everett, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology, for "Validation and Quantification of Biomarkers of Subacute Brain Injury in Children with Sickle Cell Disease"
• Kelvin MacDonald, MD, Research Associate in Pediatric Pulmonology, for "Pre-Clinical Assay of Prostone Compounds in Cystic Fibrosis"*
• Deborah Persaud, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, for "Optimization and Development of Diagnostic Assays for HIV Infection in Infants Living in Resource-Constrained Settings"
• Dorry Segev, MD, Associate Professor of Transplant Surgery, for "Identifying Appropriate Recipients for Kidneys from Infectious Risk Donors"*
• Charlotte Sumner, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, for "Evaluation of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Mice"
• S. Darius Tandon, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, for "Translating an Efficacious Depression Intervention to Prevent Postpartum Depression"

[More]

The ICTR would like to annouce Introduction to Clinical Research, a two-week intensive course designed to introduce attendees to clinical research methods, with a particular focus on epidemiological, biostatistical, and computing methods. Hand-outs and homework exercises are provided at each session, and student evaluation is based on paired pre- and post-test of knowledge base.

Click here for the course schedule.

Course learning objectives: Define a research question. Understand the steps involved in conducting clinical research. Review and evaluate the main study designs used in clinical research: case-control, cohort, clinical trials, cross-sectional, metanalyses. Understand the basis of statistical analyses of clinical research studies. Understand the methodological basis of diagnostic and prognostic testing. Prepare and review a research project.

Location: East Baltimore; 2024 E. Monument Street; Suite 1-500

Class Dates and Times: July 13th through July 24th, 2009, Monday through Friday, 9:00 - 4:30

Enrollment Maximum: 50

Prerequisites: Students must preregister with course coordinator and prior submission of an abstract for a research project.

Grading Restriction: Pass/Fail

Registration: REGISTRATION OPENS ON JUNE 9th , 2009. Participants need to register with the Course Coordinator, Roxanne Stambaugh by e-mailing her directly at rstamba1@jhmi.edu.

Behind every treatment and every cure is a group of extraordinary volunteers.

The ICTR is inviting the Johns Hopkins research community to join us in celebrating the invaluable contributions of our research participants. Thanks to these volunteers, our researchers are able to translate scientific discoveries into treatments and cures that help countless people around the globe live longer, healthier lives. Here are some things you can do:

• If you interact with research participants during the course of your workday, simply take a moment to directly express your appreciation.
• Contact the ICTR Research Subject Advocacy office for stickers and pins you can give to your participants.
• Point out the thank-you messages running on the plasma screens throughout campus and the banners hanging in the inpatient and outpatient clinical research units.
• Learn how to make it easier to volunteer by providing parking arrangements for your study participants. Email liz@jhmi.edu for more information.
• Spread the word about AWARE for ALL on May 9. This Baltimore Clinical Research Education Day, which is free and open to the public, will include complimentary health screenings and presentations from local physicians, researchers, and study participants.
• Use Trials@Hopkins to find information about Hopkins studies that are looking for participants.

Thank you for joining us in recognizing these important members of our research teams!

ICTR would like to encourage all eligible members of the Hopkins research community to apply for one or more of the upcoming NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research (RC1). We hope the following information and resources will assist PIs in their application processes for these fast-paced grants:

• For more information from the NIH, including an overview of grant categories and links to full descriptions of the individual grants, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/challenge_award/.
• Specific information about the grant submission process and administrative deadlines at Johns Hopkins varies from department to department. Please contact your department's administrative office for this information.
• If you are interested in receiving a letter of support from the ICTR, click here to request one. You will be asked to log in with your JHED ID.
• To use the ICTR NIH Challenge Grant Wiki as a forum to describe your project, discuss the application process, and connect with grant-strengthening collaborators, click here. You will be asked to log in with your JHED ID.

ICTR wishes the best to each Hopkins researcher planning to participate in this funding opportunity. Don't forget to turn to http://ictr.johnshopkins.edu for the latest information on these and other resources during this period of activity and innovation in research funding.

All publications resulting from research using any ICTR resource, including Clinical Research Units, ATIP funding, and/or consulting services, should cite the ICTR grant as a contributing source of support. When publishing articles related to this research, please include one of the following citations:

• "This publication was made possible by Grant Number UL1 RR 025005 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of NCRR or NIH." OR
• "The project described was supported by Grant Number UL1 RR 025005 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, and its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of NCRR or NIH."

Thank you for your cooperation in acknowledging the ICTR's support in your publications.

The Summer Clinical Research Experience, funded by the Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program, is looking for sponsors for medical students interested in clinical research. For more information regarding the Program and its Summer Research Experience, click here to visit the web site. If you are interested in serving as a mentor to one of these students, you can post potential research projects directly onto the medical students' web site by clicking here.