Children's National Medical Center - Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children's National

What is it?

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN, or the Institute) is a partnership of Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University, launched in 2008. This initiative was designed to develop a uniquely pediatric perspective on the task of improving human health through research. This important initiative was based on several important insights regarding the pressing need to translate basic discovery into clinically effective preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic pediatric interventions. CTSI-CN combines the significant research and educational strengths of its member institutions and nurtures collective research efforts, as well as broader trust, collaboration, and resource sharing among the member institutions. The CTSI-CN is a Clinical and Translational Science Awards Institution, a consortium that is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The Institute focuses on pediatric research and care, providing the infrastructure necessary for researchers at all levels to conduct clinical research, including clinical trials, access to biostatistics for study analysis, and access to specialized core laboratories and specialists. The program received a five-year grant in July 2010. In addition, the program has several business models in place to maximize cost recovery and efficiency, prioritize resources, and bring in additional funding for the program.

Who is it for?

Initially created for the Washington, D.C., community and surrounding areas, the program is also open to any researcher in the United States.

Why do they do it?

The District of Columbia is well known for the diversity of its intellectual, political, and cultural resources, but it is also recognized for the often-disproportionate health problems affecting its diverse population. CTSI-CN is committed to more rapidly deploying the insights gained through medical research to both improve existing medical therapies and to make already established treatments available to those who need them most.
The research conducted must be meaningful to the community, and have direct translation to the community’s needs. The local community benefits are two-fold: 1) there are more opportunities for people to participate in studies related to health challenges they are experiencing; and 2) the community will directly benefit from the results and health care applications learned from the research.

Impact

The Institute has created several community health-oriented programs based on current health challenges in the D.C. area and research findings. The organization has a local community advisory board that oversees research projects, and provides feedback about community needs and benefits. One example is the Institute’s Asthma Program, which is a partnership with asthma researchers and community members to help meet unmet children’s asthma needs through the school education system, such as prophylactics, education and asthma prevention and treatment techniques.

Contact: Jennifer L. Stinebiser
Marketing Communications Manager
Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation
Telephone: 301-244-6731
E-mail: jstinebi@childrensnational.org

Contact: Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, PMP?
Executive Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children's National
E-mail: keskanda@childrensnational.org