News From Around the Indiana CTSI

Indiana Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship names scholarship winners

Eleven second-year IU medical students have received scholarship awards through the Indiana Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship (IMPRS), a collaboration of IU School of Medicine and the Indiana CTSI.
The students, who all participated in the IMPRS summer internship program, were first selected from a research poster session including 105 presenters. Then, 21 finalists were selected to give oral presentations to a panel of judges, including IU School of Medicine’s Janice Blum, PhD; Rebecca Chan, MD, PhD; Reubin Kapur, PhD; Peter J. Roach, PhD; and Timothy Sutton, MD, PhD. The scholarship money will go toward the students’ tuition.
View the list of winners.

Indiana Life Sciences Summit calls for poster abstracts

Abstract submissions are now being taken for a poster session at this year’s Indiana Life Sciences Summit, the largest life sciences conference in Indiana. The summit, presented by BioCrosscroads, will be held Oct. 9-10 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis.

The summit’s top two poster presenters will be invited to make 15-minute presentations at a scientific session on Oct. 9.  Accepted poster presenters will also receive free entry to all summit activities.

Please submit your abstracts by Monday, Aug. 28.

Questions? Email biocrossroads@gmail.com.

Indiana CTSI funds postdoc research at IU, Purdue, Notre Dame

Seven postdoctoral researchers at Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame have been awarded grants from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) to support their biomedical research projects.
Each awardee received a $5,000 grant as part of the Indiana CTSI’s Postdoc Challenge program. Postdoc Challenge grants are awarded for projects that use Indiana CTSI Core Facilities to translate lab research into human patient treatment through the development of clinical trials and studies or research aimed at enhancing the adoption of best practices.
View the list of awardees.

IU School of Medicine names new associate dean for clinical research

Indiana University School of Medicine will enhance research that explores whether medical treatments or therapies are effective in humans with the appointment of a new associate dean for clinical research, Naga Chalasani, MD, an international leader in gastroenterology and hepatology research with extensive experience in patient-oriented research, clinical trials and drug development.
As the associate dean for clinical research, Dr. Chalasani will help IU School of Medicine grow the number of researchers engaged in clinical trials, encourage faculty participation and leadership in industry-sponsored clinical trials, promote the clinical trials resources of the IU Clinical Trials Office (CTO) and the Indiana CTSI, liaise with hospital partners and pharmaceutical companies, and implement best practices to improve clinical research across the school.
Read more.

$25M Lilly Endowment grant to enhance Indiana’s life sciences sector

A $25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will elevate Indiana’s position as one of the nation’s top life science research hubs by funding an innovative recruitment strategy designed to attract top scientists to IU School of Medicine and the state.
The grant will fund the Indiana Collaborative Initiative for Talent Enrichment (INCITE), a collaboration between IU School of Medicine and non-academic partners such as the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Eli Lilly and Co., Roche, Dow, Cook, BioCrossroads, IU Health and Eskenazi Health. Through the Indiana CTSI, the initiative also will include partnerships with Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.
As part of INCITE, IU School of Medicine will hire biomedical scientists whose work will not only enhance research and education at the school, but also strengthen the economic health of Indiana’s broader life sciences community.
Read more.

New CTSA Program coordinating center: University of Rochester’s Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration (CLIC) 

The University of Rochester has been awarded the CTSA Program coordinating center award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health. The University of Rochester establishes the Center For Leading Innovation And Collaboration (CLIC) with co-principal investigators Martin Zand and Deborah Ossip leading the helm.
CLIC’s mission is to serve the CTSA Program through coordination, transparent communication, actionable metrics, network analytics, and use of innovative collaboration tools. CLIC’s further goal is to make the work and accomplishments of the CTSA Program Consortium vibrantly visible to all stakeholders. CLIC will act as stewards of the network and will actively partner with CTSA Program colleagues and external stakeholders.
Read more.

IU School of Medicine releases ‘Research Guide’ brochure

Investigators at IU School of Medicine have a new resource to help them find funding opportunities and other services to support their research goals. A “Research Guide” brochure—also available online—has been created to help the school’s biomedical scientists navigate a complex research enterprise, including resources available through the Indiana CTSI.
If you would like to request a print copy, contact Andrea Zeek at anzeek@iu.edu. Supplies are limited.