Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis conduct many clinical trials and translational research studies each year to develop and evaluate new ways of treating and diagnosing myriad types of diseases. Such research holds promise for improving the health of people living in St. Louis, across the state of Missouri and around the globe.
The School of Medicine has received a $61 million grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the infrastructure for developing and carrying out biomedical research studies. The funding supports Washington University’s Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS), which was established in 2007. The five-year grant renewal ensures that the ICTS will continue to serve as an engine of innovation in clinical and translational research across the region, with a focus on precision medicine, health equity and diversity.
The ICTS provides resources for investigators conducting clinical and translational research, including funding for personnel, training, laboratory space, scientific equipment and seed grants, to help speed the transition that can take a research discovery from the laboratory to the bedside, where newly developed therapies could help patients.
The ICTS supports almost 1,800 researchers at Washington University and about 530 investigators at other local and regional institutions, including collaborators at BJC HealthCare, Saint Louis University, the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Beyond the development of new treatments, the ICTS also is focused on nurturing engagement and collaboration with communities in St. Louis and making sure new discoveries are not only made but broadly implemented in clinical practice, so patients can benefit. In recent years, the ICTS also has proven instrumental in managing quick pivots so that the university can effectively address pressing global public health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.