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Critical Resources
An Eye to the Future: Training the Next Generation of Researchers
The CTSA consortium provides access to critical training opportunities for junior investigators.
Edgar Charles performs experiments on blood cells from patients infected with the hepatitis C virus as mentor Lynn Dustin, an immunologist at The Rockefeller University in New York City, looks on. Charles undertook the research as part of the Clinical Scholars Program offered by Rockefeller's Center for Clinical and Translational Science, a member of the CTSA consortium. A recent graduate of the program, Charles has now received a coveted NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award to launch his career as a physician-scientist. Photo by Zach Veilleux, The Rockefeller University.
In New York City, a physician treating patients infected with the hepatitis C virus learns to conduct laboratory research to gain clues about how the virus sabotages the function of blood cells.
In St. Louis, a graduate student developing computer-based tests to study how the brain controls movement begins to collaborate with nurses and physicians to translate her research to patients with Parkinson's disease.
Meanwhile, in Portland, Ore., a physician committed to serving underserved populations receives education and training for conducting community-based research so that she can better address the health care needs of her patients.
These three researchers represent the future of translational research — the translation of scientific and technical advances into tangible benefits for patients and communities. Each individual has benefited from the training and education provided through innovative programs at medical institutions across the nation with support from NCRR's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program. Although the institutions' training programs have diverse strengths and goals, they share the common mission of providing junior investigators with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to conduct science that will improve human health.
"The things that bind all the CTSA institutions together are commitments to train the next generation of translational researchers, to share best practices and to work collaboratively," said Frederick J. Meyers of the University of California, Davis, chair of the Research Education and Career Development Key Function Committee for the CTSA consortium. "We expect to develop a fundamentally different group of researchers. They are still well-grounded in the discipline of science, but they also are knowledgeable of regulatory and ethical requirements, able to engage in team science and passionate about bringing discoveries to patients."
The training programs developed at each CTSA site span the entire spectrum of research, from basic to preclinical to clinical studies, providing future translational scientists with "core competencies," consisting of the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills required to conduct interdisciplinary research. These competencies are taught primarily through didactic courses that lead to master's degrees in clinical research and, in some cases, doctoral degrees in translational and clinical research, tailored to an individual's career aspirations. In addition, these programs provide opportunities to expose future physician-scientists to interdisciplinary team science. Another important component of the training programs is the quality mentoring that participants receive from established scientists, who serve as guides and role models for the careers the junior investigators want to pursue.
Although many of these programs are still in their infancy — the CTSA program was just launched in 2006 — their effects can be seen clearly in the stories of individuals who have participated in them.
