CTSA-Vet School Partnership Names First Translational Reseach Fellows

The University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is excited to share that our partners from the UW School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) have recently announced the selection of the inaugural class of Translational Research Fellows for 2020. These fellows are part of a novel, multi-stage training program supported by a CTSA Innovation Award (U01TR002953), Translational Research Workforce Training: Leveraging the Veterinary Specialist (PI: Lauren Trepanier, DVM, PhD, Professor and SVM Assistant Dean for Clinical and Translational Research)

Awarded to the Clinical and Translational Science Award One Health Alliance (COHA), a consortium of veterinary schools partnered with medical and other colleagues through the CTSA program, this training initiative promotes inclusion of veterinary clinician-scientists into interdisciplinary research teams to address human health problems from diverse perspectives.

Many naturally occurring (spontaneous) diseases in domestic animals, such as epilepsy, glaucoma, or hemophilia, have human corollaries and the study from both veterinary and human perspectives has the potential to advance healthcare for both.

Christine Sorkness, RPh, PharmD, ICTR Senior Associate Executive Director and a partner in the training program, notes, “We designed this program to provide a model of how to attract early-career stage veterinary clinical specialists to translational research. Our complementary aims include providing immersion research training, evidence-based mentoring support, and opportunities for collaboration around shared disease interests. We are excited about next steps after our first year’s outstanding progress!”

Selection of the 2020 Translational Research Fellows followed a three-day COHA Translational Research Immersion Program held in September 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. The initial collaboration between ICTR and SVM began in 2009 and was supported by an NIH R13 award. ICTR continues to be an active participant in this program through its expansive catalogue of training opportunities, especially in the area of National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)-based mentorship training.

  • Translational Workforce Development