Indiana CTSI secures $38 million NIH funding to advance health research

The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) has secured nearly $38 million in renewed funding from the National Institutes of Health for the next seven years -; the fourth consecutive successful grant submission for the statewide research enterprise.

The Indiana CTSI is a partnership among Indiana's top research universities -; Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame -; and the Regenstrief Institute Inc. The Indiana CTSI provides resources, education, training and funding opportunities to researchers across the state. These efforts span the translational research spectrum, from basic science to the clinic and into the community. The institute also facilitates opportunities for the community to inform further research in labs and hospitals.

The Indiana CTSI is led by its co-directors, IU School of Medicine's Sharon Moe, MD, associate dean for clinical and translational research, and Sarah Wiehe, MD, MPH, associate dean for community and translational research. Under their leadership, the institute has seen growing success, including expanded educational and training opportunities to build a broader array of translational researchers, such as medical, undergraduate and high school students. It has also developed engaging collaborations with public-private partnerships, as well as individuals and community-based organizations, such as the Monon Collaborative, which includes Wellbeing informed by Science and Evidence (WISE) Indiana and Community Impact Hubs.

Since 2008, Indiana CTSI-supported research has also led to the publication of more than 4,100 scientific papers, including:

• A collaborative research project to bring mobile stress interventions to breast cancer survivors led by IU researchers
• A microrobot device that removes brain hemorrhages from strokes or aneurysms led by Purdue researchers
• A drug delivery system to restore damaged stem cells, which could help babies born from complicated pregnancies, led by Notre Dame researchers
• A mobile app to monitor premature babies born in both Kenya and Indiana led by IU School of Medicine researchers

As one of the nation's premier research universities, IU has world-class researchers who drive innovation. The Indiana CTSI collaboration will continue to play a pivotal role in transforming and growing our statewide research ecosystem."

Pamela Whitten, IU President

Indiana CTSI leadership has bold goals to transform our statewide research ecosystem over the next seven years, with deliberate attention to diversity and inclusion in partnerships, workforce development and research engagement. These efforts will accelerate innovation and rapidly implement evidence into practice to advance health equity across the state. The institute will also work to harmonize health system data through informatics and develop innovative solutions for effective health care.

"The Indiana CTSI has helped Purdue biomedical engineers test new devices and make bold advancements in clinical and translational research to bring these technologies to patients," Purdue University President Mung Chiang said. "We look forward to many more years of collaboration with our colleagues at the Indiana CTSI, Indiana University and Notre Dame. And Purdue University is committed to expand the scale and impact of our biomedical and health care discoveries."

The Indiana CTSI will build on its strengths by expanding community-based efforts such as All IN for Health, a program to engage the public in research and help them understand its value toward improving health in the state. Other initiatives include improving opportunities for donating specimens to the Indiana Biobank to facilitate research, focusing on nuanced social issues in research through a bioethical lens, and developing a recruitment concierge service to help researchers enroll diverse participants in their studies.

The Indiana CTSI will also broaden the guest list for the popular Healthcare Triage podcast series to include researchers from IU, Purdue and Notre Dame, showcasing the many areas of expertise of researchers from the statewide collaboration.

"Through the Indiana CTSI, Notre Dame is able to bring many of its research strengths -; fighting rare diseases, promoting global health, preventing lead poisoning and more -; to the service of healthcare systems and community health partners throughout our state," said Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins. "We are grateful for the NIH's continued support of the Indiana CTSI, which enables Notre Dame faculty members to identify shared research interests and opportunities for collaborative projects with fellow researchers at Purdue and Indiana University."

Since its founding in 2008, the Indiana CTSI has consistently been among the top five largest NIH research grants at IU School of Medicine-;of which Regenstrief Institute is a supporting organization.

"We are committed to the Indiana CTSI and working together to build upon our institutional strengths, leverage our respective unique capabilities, and collaborate to accelerate discoveries relating to health and wellness," said Rachel E. Patzer, incoming president and CEO of the Regenstrief Institute. "As a society, we invest in health care research with an expectation of the benefits we gain from it. I believe by harnessing the existing strengths of the CTSI and its partners we can improve not only health care, but ultimately the health of patients and populations."