Summer of science

New CTSI programs fostering research excellence across colleges

By Nicki Karimipour and Claire Baralt

Summer might be quiet for some, but two UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute programs are busy launching new endeavors.

The newly established CTSI Academy of Research Excellence recently welcomed its first class of 14 investigators pursuing a six-month Master Certification for Excellence in Human Subject Research and Protections. The CTSI also recently awarded its newest round of one-year intramural pilot grants, providing close to $280,000 in support of 17 projects.

A reflection of the multidisciplinary and collaborative nature of research at UF, trainees and faculty across the two cohorts represent all six colleges of the UF Health Science Center plus the UF colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Health and Human Performance, and Journalism and Communications.

“These two application cycles demonstrated the incredibly diverse expertise that thrives here at UF,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., director of the UF CTSI. “We are pleased to be able to bring so many disciplines together to foster research excellence and help lay the groundwork for future collaborations.”

The next application round for each program is expected to open this fall.

CTSI Academy of Research Excellence

Directed by Ray Moseley, Ph.D., the CTSI Academy of Research Excellence helps develop and recognize exemplary investigators. It promotes high-quality, innovative clinical research through programs that emphasize research integrity, ethics and professionalism. The academy’s first offering is the Master Certification for Excellence in Human Subject Research and Protections, completion of which leads to membership in the academy. The 14 investigators below were selected as the program’s inaugural participants.

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Peggy R. Borum, Ph.D.

College of Dentistry
Katherine Karpinia, D.M.D., M.S.

College of Medicine
Michael R. Bubb, M.D.
Thomas J. George, M.D.
Jacqueline A. Hobbs, M.D., Ph.D.
Emina H. Huang, M.D.
Samsun Lampotang, Ph.D.
Todd Manini, Ph.D.
Ramon L. Rodriguez, M.D.
Latha Ganti Stead, M.D., M.S.
Gary P. Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
David E. Winchester, M.D., M.S.

College of Nursing
Barbara Lutz, Ph.D., R.N., C.R.R.N.

College of Pharmacy
Reginald Frye, Pharm.D., Ph.D.

CTSI 2012-13 Pilot Project Awards
Directed by Christopher Batich, Ph.D., the CTSI Pilot and Collaborative Projects Program awards intramural grants to support the growth of interdisciplinary and investigator-initiated research. Areas of special interest for the 2012-13 awards included collaborations with CTSI-affiliated health communication researchers and the CTSI’s biobehavioral, biomedical mass spectrometry, biorepository, genotyping and metabolomics core labs. The CTSI funded 17 awards across three categories: trainees, junior faculty and novel methods and technologies.

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Joseph Larkin III, Ph.D.
(Junior faculty)

College of Dentistry
Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, Ph.D., M.S.P.H. (Trainee)

College of Health and
Human Performance
Michael Leland Stellefson, Ph.D. (Junior faculty)

College of Journalism & Communications
Deborah Treise, Ph.D. (Novel methods and technology)

College of Medicine-Jacksonville
Sankarathi Balaiya, Ph.D. (Trainee)

College of Medicine
Ellie Chan, M.D. (Trainee)
Philip A. Efron, M.D. (Junior faculty)
Brian L. Hoh, M.D. (Novel methods and technologies)
Chen Ling, Ph.D. (Trainee)
Romina Lomónaco, M.D.
(Junior faculty)
Lyle L. Moldawer, Ph.D. (Novel methods and technologies)
Naohiro Terada, M.D., Ph.D. (Novel methods and technologies)

College of Medicine/ College of Public Health and Health Professions
Taj Azarian, M.P.H. (Trainee)
Catherine L. Striley, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.E. (Junior faculty)

College of Public Health and
Health Professions
Carolynn Patten, Ph.D., P.T. (Novel methods and technologies)

College of Veterinary Medicine
Mansour Mohamadzadeh, Ph.D. (Novel methods and technologies)
Andrew D. Smith, D.V.M. (Trainee)