Frequently Asked Questions
The LA CaTS Center is a single clinical translational science program for Louisiana
based on synergistic programs and unparalleled collaboration from all the major biomedical
research institutions in the state. The Center is funded by Institutional Development
Award (IDeA) Program Infrastructure for Clinical and Translational Research (IDeA-CTR).
The overarching objective of our center [the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science (LA CaTS) Center] is to transform the clinical and translational research efforts of our region away
from the status quo, where institutions operate in isolation to pursue their institutional
missions, and toward a cohesive, mutually supportive enterprise for clinical and translational
research. The LA CaTS Center capitalizes on strengths and capacities unique to each
institution, culminating from years of effort and planning, and represents a unified,
comprehensive approach targeting the theme of "prevention, care and research of chronic
diseases in the underserved population. The LA CaTS Center intends to build upon the
structure of our COBREs and INBREs of the state and to involve the COBRE/INBRE investigators
in every key component activity. We also propose to partner with South Carolina, another
IDeA state, and to share resources and collaborate on studies with the CTSA at Medical
University of South Carolina (MUSC) Thus, based on an emphasis to significantly enhance clinical and translational research
by the collaborating institutions, the LA CaTS Center will have a significant impact
on understanding the pathophysiology, prevention, management and research of chronic
diseases in underserved populations.
The LA CaTS Center is built around a lead institution- Pennington Biomedical Research
Center and two primary collaborating institutions in the state - LSU Health Sciences
Center in New Orleans and Tulane Health Sciences Center, but also with strong collaborations
with our research partners which include the Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center in Shreveport, Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, Children's Hospital
in New Orleans, Louisiana State University A&M College in Baton Rouge, Ochsner Health
System, New Orleans VA, and University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans. The LA
CaTS Center intends to build upon the structure of our COBREs and INBREs of the state
and to involve the COBRE/INBRE investigators in every key component activity in the
Center.
If you are faculty or staff at any of the LA CaTS Primary Collaborating Institutions
or Research Partnering Institutions, you are automatically a member.
Through LA CaTS Center, you will be able to take advantage of research and educational
opportunities at other research institutions other than your own, which will allow
you to connect to expertise in a variety of areas. It will allow you to network and
connect with other Louisiana researchers in your area of interest. Members from the
Lead and three Primary Collaborating Institutions and junior faculty members being
mentored in one of the COBRE or INBRE programs in the state will have the opportunity
to compete for pilot grant funding offered by the LA CaTS Pilot Grant Program. Faculty
from the Research Partner institutions are eligible for this competition only if partnered
with a faculty member from 1 of the lead or Primary Collaborating Institutions. All
LA CaTS faculty members are given access to vetted Core Facilities at institutional
rates.
The LA CaTS Center's mission is to "encourage, support and expand clinical and translational
research through partnerships both among researchers and with the people we serve".
Therefore, we aim for the LA CaTS Center to: a) create a collaborative infrastructure
for clinical and translational research both within and across partnering institutions;
b) increase the critical mass of investigators performing clinical and translational
research; and c) improved and sustain bi-directional relationships with our communities.
Our aim is to serve both the public and community health care providers by developing
on-line tools from LA CaTS Center researchers. The LA CaTS Center will help to streamline
research from "bench to bedside", making available the latest discoveries for health
care providers to use in their everyday practices. Also, health care providers will
be able to provide feedback to LA CaTS Center Researchers ("bedside to bench") on
the needs and health disparities of the communities they represent to support the
aim of improving and sustaining bi-directional relationships with our communities.
Our approach includes assessing the needs of vulnerable populations, understanding
those needs based on two-way communication, and promoting the appreciation for and
involvement in clinical research among the population we serve.
As part of the planning process, the following key obstacles were identified to efficient
clinical and translational research in Louisiana:
- small critical mass of trained investigators, spread across multiple institutions; no clearly-defined training or certification paths in clinical research
- few enrichment activities for clinical translational researchers
- dispersed facilities and dispersed trained personnel who conduct clinical research
- institutional barriers to collaboration in regulatory policies and business practices
- lack of knowledge of how to traverse the regulatory landscape
- lack of funding to support pilot efforts or encourage collaboration
- barriers to access to Scientific Cores and special expertise across institutions(and lack of knowledge as to how to access these)
- lack of an established web-based communication system to serve clinical and translational researchers
- lack of investigators trained in web-based resources
- lack of an integrated approach to maximizing the research potential of the electronic medical records, where Louisiana is making major investment and the current fragmentary housing of clinical research records
- lack of good relations with communities and participants
- large number of low literacy patients with poor understanding of clinical research
- and a disconnect between the community perceptions of health problems and the academic research agenda.
The NIH has a growing interest and focus on clinical and translational research. NIH
established the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program in 1993 to enhance
biomedical research activities in states that have had historically low NIH grant
funding success rates, specifically the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence
(COBRE) and IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). Louisiana is currently
home to 7 COBREs and 1 INBRE. According to the NIH's IDeA-CTR purpose, "the proportion
of research activity currently supported by the IDeA Program that focuses on developing
clinical and translational research capabilities is relatively small (15%). It is
critical that the many advances in basic biomedical science research emerging from
IDeA states be translated into better patient care and improved public health by fostering
partnerships between basic and clinical scientists in IDeA institutions and among
other NIH-funded programs" (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-229).
The LA CaTS Center plans to achieve this by enhancing and sharing clinical research
facilities and supporting all aspects of the research, education, and community engagement
infrastructure required to establish and sustain a state-wide culture of integrated
translational research.
Any investigator interested in clinical and translational research at any of the participating
institutions has access to LA CaTS Core & Resource Services. However, priority is
given to particular groups within the institutions.
Priority is first given to Louisiana COBRE and INBRE mentees, LA CaTS Pilot Grant
Awardees, LA CaTS Center Scholars and emerging junior investigators at the member
institutions. Then, assistance is available to senior investigators entering the translational
field or pursing a clinical focus. Investigators who do not fall into the previously
mentioned categories are encouraged to contact the LA CaTS Center and, contingent
on availability of resources, the LA CaTS Center will make every effort to provide
assistance.
While there are many no-cost services, investigators are encouraged to contact the
LA CaTS Cores & Resources to discuss a consultation and possible associated costs
for services. We are working toward an internet-based tool to provide members with
more information about services and any applicable costs for specific LA CaTS Center
services.
You can request services through the SPARC (Services, Pricing & Application for Research
Centers) System website at sparc.lacats.org. If you have a question or not sure if you need to request a service, you can contact
us at info@LACaTS.org, use the Contact Us feature on our website, or visit the individual Core webpages for the contacts.