The University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine have received a generous grant to create a regional research center.
The National Center for Advancing Translational Research awarded the $44.2 million Clinical and Translational Science Award Program grant to the two schools, which will work to create a regional center called the Consortium for Translational and Precision Health. According to a UH press release, the CTPH “will serve as support for infrastructure, services, community engagement and workforce development to advance research and drive innovation in clinical translational science.”
The center plans to build on the existing partnership with UH and Baylor, as well as other clinical and research groups within the Texas Medical Center. CTPH aims to connect regional investigators with community health organizations and government agencies that contribute to clinical research, health care and policy. The new center plans to fund pilot projects and support ongoing research to “accelerate the pace of research from discovery to population-level impact,” the press release states. Over 60 leading medical institutions will receive funding from the CTSA program.
“Research is the engine for life-changing advances in healthcare,” UH President Renu Khator said in a press release. “This innovative center will be a catalyst for breakthrough discoveries and treatments that improve people’s quality of life. That’s what drives us at UH, and we’re thrilled to partner with Baylor to create a regional center for change.”
The program is led by Dr. Christopher Amos, professor and director of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) at BCM; Dr. Fasiha Kanwal, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at BCM; and Dr. Bettina M. Beech, clinical professor of population health and chief population health officer at UH.
CTPH will also collaborate with the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, the Andy & Barbara Gessner College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Optometry, the CT Bauer College of Business, the Cullen College of Engineering, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Honors College, all of which are UH colleges.
“We are committed to driving innovation in clinical and translational science, and this award is a significant step forward in our mission to improve population health outcomes,” Beech said in a press release. “This is a testament to the unwavering commitment and team spirit of everyone involved. It was truly a team effort.”
