Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) News and Stories

Dear CCTSI research community,

The days are getting longer, spring is officially here and there is much to look forward to.

Registration is open for several of our short courses developed specifically for researchers, including Communicating Your Science to the Public. Uniquely tailored mock study section grant review opportunities are available such as the Pre-K and Pre-R grant review sessions. LOIs are due April 8 and April 4 respectively. Our brand new Pre-F program helps students and postdocs prepare and submit successful applications to the NIH for their individual NRSA (F30, F31, F32) fellowships. Applications are due May 15. We are offering a “Tips and Tricks” Fellowship Seminar offering a practical guide to NRSA Fellowship applications on May 3.

Ronald J. Sokol, MD | April 02, 2024

Imagine you have conducted a study and want to tell the world about the findings. Or suppose your research results show great promise for a particular cancer treatment, and now you need to make sure caregivers understand the impact of your work. What do you do? If you attended the recent CU-CSU Summit, you might have some ideas! 

Wendy Meyer | September 26, 2023

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $54 million over a seven-year period to the CCTSI at CU Anschutz. The grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) will fuel biomedical research and training across the state. This is the fourth consecutive time the NIH has funded the CCTSI since 2008 through its Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) program.

Wendy Meyer | September 18, 2023

A 15-year, multicenter study has changed the course of care for youth with type 2 diabetes, enhancing treatments for this growing population and illustrating the scope of the work conducted on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Called Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents & Youth (TODAY), the massive clinical trial included 699 participants and was led nationally by Phil Zeitler, MD, professor, pediatrics-endocrinology, University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Wendy Meyer | March 14, 2023

Though many Coloradans are proceeding as though the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the virus continues to circulate, evolve and have an impact—especially for older adults and those with underlying medical conditions. Furthermore, because of the evolution of variants, doctors have fewer treatment options.

Wendy Meyer | February 10, 2023

While artificial intelligence (AI) is not a new concept in science, in the last decade, the clinical research community has seen tremendous growth in this area. At the 12th Annual Research Ethics Conference, researchers, members of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and ethicists gathered in person and via Zoom to discuss AI's expanding role in research. 

Cristine Schmidt | December 07, 2022

You probably learned about cilia in high school biology class. The tiny hairlike structures line our nasal passages, ears and airways. Children born with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare inherited disease, have problems with the cilia that prevent them from moving mucus and inhaled particles and germs out of their airways, causing mucus to build up, leading to ear, sinus and lung infections.

Wendy Meyer | December 07, 2022

Our mission at the CCTSI is to help build research teams of the future, speed the development of new treatments and improve human health. Pediatric oncologist and researcher Dr. Mike Verneris exemplifies this mission through his work with the Consortium for Pediatric Cellular Immunotherapy (CPCI). It’s a mouthful, but the gist of it is a group of five children’s hospitals (and their research institutes like the CCTSI) are working together to share deep and specialized knowledge about developing cellular therapy to treat cancers and other pediatric illnesses.

Wendy Meyer | June 07, 2022

Ten years ago, people with cystic fibrosis (CF) celebrated when the FDA approved ivacaftor, the first drug designed to target the defective protein that causes the disease. CF is an inherited disorder that inflicts severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body. Since then, several additional drugs that use a similar mechanism have been approved by the FDA for CF.

Wendy Meyer | June 07, 2022

The Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) is pleased to announce that Matthew DeCamp, MD, PhD, will assume the role as the new leader of its research ethics program. Marilyn Coors, PhD, who served in this role since 2010, recently retired from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. DeCamp is associate professor in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities and Division of General Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine.

Wendy Meyer | March 14, 2022

When Marilyn Coors, PhD, took a job as an assistant professor in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, she had a vision. She wanted the center to become an integral part of the operation of science, research and teaching on the state’s top medical campus. Today, more than 21 years later, it is clear her vision has been realized.

Wendy Meyer | March 14, 2022

You never know when inspiration will strike. For biostatistician Conner Jackson, MS, his inspiration was a pet tortoise named Pietro. Pietro’s owner insisted the tortoise could predict the weather through his behavior. The topic came up in a Zoom meeting one day and Jackson was captivated. “I expected everyone to say, ‘we should look into that!'"

Wendy Meyer | December 14, 2021

In 1991, Karen Morgenthaler started a new position working for Dr. Chip Ridgway in the endocrinology lab at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. After 30 years of service for the university, most of which took place in the lab at the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI), Karen will retire at the end of 2021.

Wendy Meyer | December 13, 2021

1. CCTSI stands for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.

2. We help build the research teams of the future, speed the development of new treatments and improve human health

Wendy Meyer | September 14, 2021

The pandemic has changed how we work. As a result, you may find yourself ferrying a laptop around more often. With this comes an increased risk it will be stolen, lost or damaged during transit. So, what are some things you can do to protect the sensitive data on your laptop? 

Matthew Latus | September 14, 2021

In March of 2020, the pandemic drove Coloradans to enter lockdown mode. This was no different for researchers on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The result was that research operations were completely shuttered unless they were related to COVID-19 or essential to patient care.

Wendy Meyer | September 14, 2021

March 5, 2020 marked the anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Colorado. Just a few days later, on March 10, Governor Polis declared a state of emergency and soon thereafter most of us were working from home and living in full pandemic mode.

Wendy Meyer | June 24, 2021

As Colorado surpasses a 47 percent rate of its population being fully immunized (with 12 counties surpassing 70 percent), researchers continue to expand the study of the vaccines on children as young as five years old. The Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) and its nursing staff are playing a major role.

Wendy Meyer | June 24, 2021

The CCTSI is pleased to announce two new leadership roles: Jose R. Castillo-Mancilla, MD and Christopher D. Baker, MD will each serve as Associate Medical Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Centers of the CCTSI. Dr. Baker will oversee the pediatric CTRC at Children’s Hospital Colorado under the leadership of Medical Director Dr. Phil Zeitler. Dr. Castillo-Mancia will oversee the adult CTRC at UCHealth under the leadership of Medical Director Dr. Tom Campbell.

Wendy Meyer | June 24, 2021