Upcoming CCTS Events
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences recently published their biennial report and it contains numerous projects that have yielded measurable, significant advancements. The list below contains several points of inclusion of the CCTS Partner Network within the report (Note: ):
- NIH and CCTS Partner Tuskegee University developed a potential new type of immunotherapy that reprograms immune cells to fight cancer. The team included Tuskegee Site Lead Clayton Yates, PhD, CCTS 2020 Pilot Awardee Balasubramanayam Karanam, PhD, and CCTS Scholar Jason White, PhD. Their findings were published in the February 12th issue of Science Translational Medicine. The approach used in their research may also have potential for treating many other diseases. Learn more.
- The CCTS was pivotal in the rapid deployment of a national seroprevalence survey, enrolling over 11,000 individuals and collecting biospecimens and data, demonstrating a notable rate of undiagnosed COVID-19 infection and disproportionate effect on women and African Americans during the first 6 months of the pandemic. The initial results were published in Science Translational Medicine last year. Review the publication.
- The CCTS was a collaborator on several community engagement efforts highlighted within the report including CEAL (Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities) and the NIH RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) The CCTS Hub also participated in the convalescent plasma clinical trial, which included communities at greatest risk from COVID-19.
- The CCTS, with leadership by the Hub’s Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, joined the new Biomedical Data Translator Consortium in an effort to integrate multiple types of existing data sources, including objective signs and symptoms of disease, drug effects, and intervening types of biological data relevant to understanding pathophysiology.
- The CCTS played an instrumental role in the testing and early establishment of the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), providing an enclave of valuable clinical data that allows the research community to study COVID-19.
- Leveraging CCTS SPAN, Training Academy and other Center capacities, David Kimberlin, MD, leads the Congenital and Perinatal Infections Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (RDCRC) as part of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network.
The report provides a moment to reflect on the incredible progress of the research community over the last few years and the CCTS thanks all of the investigative and clinical teams that have supported and continue to support these projects.
Written by Katie Bradford | June 27, 2022
- Annabelle Fonseca, MD, MHS
- Byron Lai, PhD, MS
- Chad Rose, PhD
- Henry Zelada Castro, MD
- Jaimie Roper, PhD
- Mohamed Shaban, PhD, MS, MS
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Annabelle Fonseca, MD, MHS
University of South Alabama
Assistant Professor, Department of SurgeryProject Title: Patient and Stakeholder Reported Perspectives on Barriers in Access to Oncological Care in Pancreatic Cancer
Research Impact: Disparities in access to pancreatic and other foregut cancer care are well documented. A large percentage of patients with resectable pancreatic and other cancers do not receive potentially curative surgical resection. We know that sociodemographic factors predict unequal access to cancer care, however we have not as yet identified all the modifiable barriers that prevent equitable access at the patient-, provider- and systems-levels. Identifying and understanding the scope of these barriers will allow us to identify and develop potential targets for intervention that can help mitigate disparities in access to care. My long-term research objective is to design, implement and study system-level interventions to improve the delivery of cancer care such that it is more equitable and just.
How do you plan to leverage this time with the CCTS? The CCTS Pilot Program Award affords me both some protected time and grant funding that will allow me to obtain pilot data on barriers in access to curative-intent surgical resection in patients with potentially resectable pancreatic cancer. I plan to use this time to identify patient, caregiver and other stakeholder perceived barriers, and identify the underlying modifiable barriers from a patient-centric and systems perspective. Identifying the underlying modifiable barriers to receipt of curative-intent surgery is the important first step that will allow us to develop targeted interventions for at-risk patients. I plan to use this data to apply for a mentored career development award.
What interested you about this funding opportunity? My research focus shifted to health services research with a focus on disparities in access to cancer care, largely due to my clinical experience here at the University of South Alabama. Our hospital is a safety-net hospital and tertiary referral center, and a large percentage of my patients have significant barriers impacting their access to care. Seeing this, and wanting to do something about it, is what resulted in the switch in my research focus. I first got involved in the CCTS when I applied to the Health Disparities Research Education Program at the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center. While there, I became aware of the CCTS pilot funding opportunity. I am in the process of applying for a career development award, and thought that this Pilot grant program would allow me to obtain pilot data to help with my CDA.
What is your favorite thing about your career? It would be hard to pick the one thing I like the most about being a surgical oncologist. As a HPB and foregut focused surgical oncologist, I value the long-term relationship I am able to establish with my patients, most of whom I am meeting for the first time at what is probably the worst times of their lives. Helping them navigate that period in a manner that best serves their needs and goals of care, while potentially providing meaningful and impactful surgical care is a privilege.
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B
yron Lai, PhD, MS
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation MedicineProject Title: Testing the feasibility, validity, and reliability of a replicable tele-monitored physical fitness battery that is inclusive of early adults with and without physical disabilities
Research Impact: Requiring individuals to travel for exercise-related laboratory measurements is the number one factor preventing enrollment in exercise trials and, therefore ultimately, the ability to confirm benefits of novel exercise treatments. We are working on removing the travel requirement from trials. Specific to the CCTS Pilot, we aim to test the validity and reliability of teleassessment fitness battery, which we expect will inform how to increase the accessibility of exercise trials particularly among those with disabilities, who are typically excluded from participation despite the benefits that exercise provides.
What interested you about this funding opportunity? The CCTS, in partnership with Auburn University, held a Telehealth-related Lightning Session. Through the session, we met Dr. Danielle Wadsworth, Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Auburn University, who has shared vision of increasing participation in exercise trials. Importantly, Dr. Wadsworth has access to study populations that are also highly complementary to those we can access. Combining our study populations ultimately enables the development of a highly inclusive framework from which to build exercise trials and treatments. Since the CCTS Partner Network was developed to enable cross-institutional collaboration, applying to its Pilot Program was the natural next-step to support our collaborative effort.
What would you like to share about applying for a CCTS Pilot? The application through notice of award period was extremely helpful to me as a junior research faculty member. As part of the application process, the CCTS connected us with a panel of scientifically-aligned, senior investigators. I believe the panel’s feedback tipped the scales towards the proposal being awarded. The CCTS also assisted in navigation of many administrative processes during the ‘Just In Time’ period, which are difficult to navigate independently.
What keeps you motivated? Compared to many other fields of research, exercise-focused disability research includes fewer scientists with fewer funding opportunities, creating some unique challenges. A good friend once asked me an ever-motivating question, “If you don’t push for funding to advance the field, who will?” Helping people with disabilities through therapeutic exercise has and always will be the primary motivating factor that keeps me pursing research.
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Chad Rose, PhD
Auburn University
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Director of the Wearable and Bio-Robotics Laboratory (WeBR Lab)Project Title: A Novel Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy
Research Impact: Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication of diabetes. DPN is a vicious cycle where burning, tingling, numbness and chronic pain in the feet reduces physical activity, which reduces blood flow, worsening DPN symptoms, effectively increasing risk of falls, injuries and amputations. Traditional drug therapies for DPN provide symptomatic relief whereas non-pharmaceutical interventions provide an opportunity to impact the underlying causes of neuropathies. However, there is a dearth in the development of non-pharmacological interventions for DPN and associated clinical studies. Our goal is to develop a non-pharmacological intervention to manage DPN using heat, pressure and vibration. This study aims to establish the feasibility and safety of the approach as quantified by biomechanical and sensory-perception changes, such as walking and foot sensitivity. We anticipate that the hardware, software and data collected as part of this pilot study will inform the development and adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions for diabetic neuropathy and related health conditions.
What interested you about this funding opportunity? The School of Engineering at Auburn University promoted the CCTS Pilot Program via flyers and digital communications. The program promoted providing resources and mentorship for early career scholars interested in NIH programs, which caught my eye as an engineer focused on biomechanics. Additionally, the program provides support to garner preliminary results, which are very much a requisite when competing for future extramural, particularly NIH, support.
How do you plan to leverage this time with the CCTS? The CCTS Pilot Program is undoubtedly accelerating the transition of this project from being a good idea towards measurable progress and outcomes. Beyond the CCTS Pilot Program, I anticipate additional CCTS resources, both formal (e.g. Nascent Project Panels and BERD) and informal (networking), as instrumental towards acquiring the support needed to move engineering concepts into clinical application.
What is your favorite thing about your career? As an Assistant Professor in a Department of Mechanical Engineering, I find “wearing many hats” an absolute privilege. I’m afforded the opportunity to work with a wide range of investigators, invest in my own continued learning, advise student researchers, lecture, pitch ideas and draft team-based proposals. Each of these responsibilities intertwine and contribute to my favorite activity – developing robotic solutions to improve individuals’ quality of life.
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Henry Zelada Castro, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and MetabolismProject Title: Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in Kidney-Transplanted Adults
Research Impact: My long term goal is to improve solid organ transplant outcomes through improved diabetes management. Post-transplant diabetes, which may exists prior to or as a result of post-transplant care routines, is associated with increased risk of post-transplant organ rejection, infection, and in some cases, early mortality. One approach towards improving diabetes management is the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). However, studies related to CGM utilization in the post-transplant population and related outcomes are lacking. Through this pilot study, we aim to assess the feasibility and acceptance of CGMs in adult, post-kidney transplant patients with diabetes and improvement of glycemic- and transplant-related outcomes. The proposed work is foundational towards determining the acceptability and clinical utility of CGM usage, effect on kidney transplant outcomes and expansion of access to CGMs in the solid-organ transplant population.
How do you plan to leverage this time with the CCTS? CCTS has many resources for young investigators, several of which I’ve leveraged as part of implementing this study. I also plan to work closely with a diabetes-focused clinical epidemiologist and biostatistician to garner feedback about how to effectively capture information as part of this pilot so it may be leveraged as part of future studies.
What keeps you motivated? I am an adult endocrinologist with a passion for improving diabetes care, specifically atypical and post-transplantation forms of diabetes. I strongly believe expanded access to diabetes care technologies can improve diabetes outcomes at a population-level. In order to systematically assess this belief and realize the potential impact, I’m interested in driving forward studies assessing glycemic control and related health outcomes of diabetes-related technologies across clinical settings.
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Jaimie Roper, PhD
Auburn University
Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology
Director of the Locomotor and Movement Control LaboratoryProject Title: Investigating Gait and Balance in Essential Tremor
Research Impact: The maintenance of gait and balance is a critical factor for people with Essential Tremor to function independently and during activities of daily living. People with Essential Tremor are at a higher risk for gait impairment, falls, and mortality compared to age-matched controls. Negative outcomes due to falling consist of major or minor injury, including death. Fortunately, mobility performance linked to falls arises from a combination of modifiable and predisposing features such as slow gait speed and impairments in balance and functional strength. While Essential Tremor may be the primary contributor to gait and balance impairments, it is unclear whether additional complications associated with aging might also affect mobility. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 85% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition, and 60% have at least two chronic conditions (comorbidities). Therefore, gait and balance impairments in Essential Tremor may be further exacerbated when occurring concurrently with an age-related comorbidity. This pilot study aims to develop successful recruitment and study strategies, and estimate associations of comorbidity severity and function, gait, balance performance and falls. These activities represent foundational steps towards designing future observational and interventional clinical studies aiming to improve health outcomes in individuals with Essential Tremor.
What interested you about this funding opportunity? The CCTS Digest alerted me to the CCTS Pilot Program. What caught my eye was inclusion of the a panel as part of the application process as a means to help investigators plan and acquire preliminary data that inform the development of larger-scale studies, which aligns with my interest in improving health outcomes in older adults with Essential Tremor.
How do you plan to leverage this time with the CCTS? Over the course of the award period, the CCTS coordinates project team meetings. I look forward these meetings, where interactions with study team members will help shape current and future project plans. The CCTS Pilot Award provides me with protected time to assess recruitment strategies, and estimate comorbidities among individuals with Essential Tremor.
What is your favorite thing about your career? Beyond working with older adults with movement disorders, I also value working with trainees. Investment of my time in phenomenal, future stakeholders that will have to address upcoming healthcare system challenges is a privilege.
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Mohamed Shaban, PhD, MS, MS
University of South Alabama
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Director of the Biomedical Artificial Intelligence GroupProject Title: Artificial Intelligence for Identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment Biomarkers in Parkinson's Disease
Research Impact: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease that is challenging for physicians and specialists to diagnose and grade. Observation of motor system abnormalities is the current means of clinical diagnosis despite being subjective and prone to human error. Progression of the disease to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia has been associated with disease morbidity, significant burden on caregivers, social and working impairment, placement at long-term care facilities, and mortality. There are currently no established biomarkers or effective treatments for cognitive impairment, but earlier identification of impairment may allow earlier intervention. This study focuses on developing precise machine and deep learning (MDL) techniques with the goal of improving detection of PD-related cognitive dysfunction from sleep Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings beyond that achieved by conventional spectral analyses. Further, this project aims at interpreting the high-level features identified by the proposed MDL frameworks to provide mechanistic insights and granular information of MCI in sleep EEG. Improving PD-related cognitive dysfunction detection is foundational towards enabling earlier interventions for patients with MCI, reduce healthcare costs and increase diagnostic reliability needed to execute informative clinical trials.
What interested you about this funding opportunity? In searching for NIH funding programs that target early-career investigators, I identified the CCTS Pilot Program. The program provides investigators with resources to bolster their application and research plans. Moreover, the program’s mission to address health disparities affecting the Deep South aligns with my research interests as evidence is growing of health disparities in Parkinson’s Disease in our region.
How do you plan to leverage this time with the CCTS? The dataset that will be utilized to execute the work is a huge sleep EEG dataset collected at UAB from Parkinson’s Disease patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, which will be harnessed to develop EEG signal analysis in transform domains and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques. Collaboration with UAB-based investigators, deployment of the AI framework and other potential applications will be fostered through CCTS facilitated team meetings.
What is your favorite thing about your career? The ability to do research and introduce innovative solutions to address the complex challenges related to medical imaging, digital pathology and electroencephalography.
The Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) based at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is committed to accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries to improve the health and health equity of the communities it serves. To realize this vision, the Center has refined its leadership strategy and team science approach to embrace a multiple principal investigator model. Dr. Orlando M. Gutiérrez will join Dr. Robert Kimberly as CCTS MPI effective July 1, 2022.
Dr. Gutiérrez is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, the Marie S. Ingalls Endowed Chair in Nephrology Leadership and currently serves as Director of the Division of Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also serves as the Medical Director of the CCTS Bionutrition Unit.
Dr. Gutiérrez draws on more than 15 years of scientific experience, advancing the understanding of kidney disease and disorders of mineral metabolism in patients with kidney failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). His work focuses on the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical outcomes associated with disruptions in mineral metabolism and the impact of diet on the development and progression of metabolic complications in kidney injury. He has a special interest in understanding the environmental and behavioral factors that may modulate these associations, particularly those related to health disparities, poverty and nutrition.
His current NIH-sponsored efforts explore abnormalities in kidney tubule function and acute kidney injury risk as well as the relationship of food intake and nocturnal hypertension in African Americans with obesity. As part of his midcareer investigator award in patient-oriented research, Dr. Gutierrez mentors clinician scientists as members of engaged teams to identify novel strategies for reducing or eliminating disparities in health outcomes related to cardiovascular disease and CKD.
A successful physician scientist, Dr. Gutiérrez has published over 175 peer-reviewed manuscripts and scientific reviews, including seminal work in NEJM, JAMA, JCI and many others. He also recently co-authored his first book on fibroblast growth factor 23. A graduate of John Carroll University, Dr. Gutierrez earned his medical degree from the University Of Toledo College Of Medicine and trained in internal medicine, nephrology, and clinical research at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He received a Master’s in Medical Science from Harvard Medical School.
Written by Jennifer Croker | June 27, 2022
STATISTICIAN IIRequisition ID: T196924 |
CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATOR IIRequisition ID: T196861 |
CLINICAL RESEARCH NURSE COORDINATOR III (Monday - Friday Day Shift)Requisition ID: T191193 |
CLINICAL RESEARCH NURSE COORDINATOR III (Monday - Friday Day Shift)Requisition ID: T193550 |
CLINICAL RESEARCH NURSE COORDINATOR II (Monday - Friday Day Shift)Requisition ID: T193552 |
CLINICAL RESEARCH NURSE COORDINATOR I (Monday - Friday Day Shift)Requisition ID: T194016 |
FINANCIAL ANALYST-CRSPRequisition ID: T196125 |
SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR IIIRequisition ID: T195854 |
RESEARCHER II (CCTS SPAN Lab)Requisition ID: T194533 |
RESEARCHER IIIRequisition ID: T194928 |
COOK SENIOR (MON-FRI/DAYS) (CCTS BIONUTRITION RESEARCH UNIT)Requisition ID: T192455 |
The CCTS is pleased to announce the newest cohort for the Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research (TL1) Program. The TL1 trainees are predoctoral students finishing their second year in a health-related program. This full-time program provides a year of focused time for trainees to develop projects related to reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. In addition, fellows will complete the core curriculum, get experience writing a manuscript, and present their research at a national conference.
The new cohort represents CCTS Partners Auburn University, LSU Health Sciences Center, Tulane University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of South Alabama.
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Madeline Behr | Tulane University | School of Science and Engineering | Biomedical Engineering
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Caroline Brantley | University of Alabama | College of Human Environmental Sciences | Department of Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management
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Jake Doiron | LSU Health Sciences Center | School of Medicine | Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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Han Eckenrode | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Graduate Biomedical Sciences | Department of Nephrology
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Charles Gagnon | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Heersink School of Medicine | Department of Medicine
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Amin Izadpanah | Tulane University | School of Medicine | Biomedical Sciences
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Santina Johnson | University of South Alabama | College of Medicine | Pharmacology
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Indonesia Jordan | University of Alabama at Birmingham | College of Arts & Sciences | Psychology
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Braxton Linder | Auburn University | College of Education | Kinesiology
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Troy LoBue | Auburn University | College of Veterinary Medicine | Pathobiology Department
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Skye Opsteen | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Heersink School of Medicine | Division of Infectious Diseases
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Monica Pasala | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Heersink School of Medicine | Department of Medicine
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Beenish Patel | Tulane University | School of Science and Engineering | Bioinnovation
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Jesse Rattan | University of Alabama | Capstone College of Nursing | Nursing
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Givanta Tribit | University of Alabama at Birmingham | School of Public Health | Health Behavior
Congratulations to each of the 2022 awardees! To learn more about the CCTS TL1 program, click here.