Translational Research Units
In 1961, the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin became one of the first GCRC sites sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to facilitate clinical research. Forty-five years later in 2007, the GCRC became the Translational Research Units (TRUs) of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).
The CTSI of southeastern Wisconsin is an entirely new and innovative network to support and advance education, collaboration and research in clinical and translational science. It represents a unique collaboration among The Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, local industry and major academic institutions — Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Currently, the TRUs include one unit located in the Pavilion at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin (the Adult TRU) and another at Children’s Hospital (the pediatric TRU). A new TRU will soon open at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center. The redesign includes the use of a mobile community TRU that allows researchers to collect data from people in the community. Nurses from the adult TRU drive to locations across the state to collect data for the protocols.
All services provided by the former GCRC, including nursing, bionutrition, informatics, biostatistics, core laboratory and the fMRI core will continue to be offered by the CTSI. In addition, new services will include a sleep lab, physiology lab and vascular lab to enhance the resources available to researchers.
Translational research — from the bench to the bedsideTo improve human health, scientific discovery must be translated into practical applications. Such discoveries typically begin with basic research at “the bench,” where scientists study disease at a molecular or cellular level, then extend their progress to the clinical level, or the patient’s “bedside.” This is evidenced through creation of the TRUs and the resources offered. Investigators can demonstrate that application of their research on human volunteers can help prevent disease and promote healthy outcomes.
Author: Marla Fraunfelder Date: September 2008 Online Editor(s): Christopher Sadler |