Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the University of Houston (UH) have been awarded a $44.2 million Clinical and Translational Science Award Program grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Research. The funding aims to establish a regional hub supporting infrastructure, services, community engagement, and workforce development to advance research in clinical translational science.
The new hub, named the Consortium for Translational and Precision Health (CTPH), builds on the partnership between UH and BCM, along with other clinical and research groups within the Texas Medical Center. It will connect investigators with community healthcare organizations and government agencies contributing to healthcare, clinical research, and policy in the region.
“This transformational grant for clinical research, led by Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston, will advance care for patients in Houston and beyond,” said Dr. Paul Klotman, president, CEO, and executive dean of BCM. “It will accelerate the transfer of new technologies to patient care.”
“Research is the engine empowering healthcare’s life-changing advancements,” said UH President Renu Khator. “This innovative hub will be a catalyst for groundbreaking discoveries and treatments that improve people’s quality of life. That’s what drives us at UH, and we’re ecstatic to cofound a regional hub for change alongside Baylor.”
The leaders of CTPH are Dr. Christopher Amos from BCM's Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), Dr. Fasiha Kanwal from BCM's section of gastroenterology and hepatology, and Dr. Bettina M. Beech from UH's population health program.
“The CTPH is a partnership that draws on strengths of both institutions," said Dr. Carolyn Smith from BCM. "It will act as the vehicle to enhance infrastructure needed to conduct research effectively."
The hub will provide funding for pilot projects while supporting ongoing research needs such as community outreach or access to clinical data.
In addition to UH’s Population Health program, CTPH will draw expertise from ten UH colleges including Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Optometry, Business Administration among others.
“We are deeply committed to advancing innovation in clinical translational science,” Beech stated.
Currently more than 60 leading medical institutions across the nation receive CTSA Program funding aimed at improving individual health outcomes through collaborative efforts in education training career support.
---
