CLIC News Roundup – February 2021
Updates from CLIC |
NEW Hub Directory
We have updated the hub directory page of the CLIC website. Now in addition to the information that your page administrator adds to your hub page, we have created an “At a Glance” section where you can find summary information about the content on the CLIC website from each hub. We are providing summary data of the number of registered users from each hub, a number of news stories, educational content, as well as events and opportunities posted from registered members of your hub. Coming soon will be an enhanced publication section where you can view PubMed publications citing each of the CTSA Program grants.
Reminder: Registration Open for 2021 Spring Group Meetings
Spring Group Meetings will take place April 14-15, 2021. These virtual meetings will feature groups discussing their respective accomplishments, future direction, and goals. Personnel from CTSA Program hubs that have active grants are encouraged to attend.
Initial agendas are now posted! View under the “Agenda” tab.
Login required to access the registration page. Registration closes on Thursday, March 25.
Connect with us on Twitter and use the hashtag: #CTSAMeeting.
CLIC Twitter Highlight |
CLIC Education |
New to the Education Clearinghouse this month is biology Courses, an online learning system by the Science Communication Lab providing courses to enhance career and professional development. It is based on a custom-made e-Learning platform developed in the iBiology tech labs to provide the best possible learning experience for you. Register to get access to these free courses.
SC CTSI’s Career Development Seminar Series
These monthly seminars, led by experts, are intended to develop core knowledge and skills to necessary in becoming productive researchers. A variety of topics are covered such as scientific communication, leadership, team science, career advancement, research tools, and regulatory science. The next seminar is Leveraging Racial Equity Data in Research.
March 2, 3-5pm ET. Register HERE
The previous seminar, Transgender Health, is now available in the CLIC Education Clearinghouse.
The Education Resource Center (ERC) Series continues with the webinar “Teaching and Assessing Skills that Matter Most: How to Align Learning Objectives to Professional Competencies in Clinical and Translational Science.”
March 4, 12-1:30pm ET. More information and registration can be found HERE.
Two previous webinars from this series are also available in the CLIC Education Clearinghouse.
News from around the CTSA Program Consortium |
Honoring the Contributions of Black Scientists
Black History Month is the annual celebration of the countless achievements by African Americans. It is a time for recognizing the central role these figures played in our history and gives us the opportunity to share and understand the impact of Black heritage and culture.
Black scientists, engineers, and physicians have discovered new disease treatments and developed innovative technologies. Their achievements have contributed to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Here is just a small sample of the historically notable Black scientists who have left their mark on the world
CCTS Leads Two-Dose, Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Janssen’s
COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate at UK
The University of Kentucky has been selected as a testing site for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 clinical research study ENSEMBLE 2, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of a two-dose regimen of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
The Phase 3 ENSEMBLE 2 study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in up to 30,000 adults 18 years old and older. The trial will include people both with and without comorbidities associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19.
The multifunctional implant shown here would be placed epidurally at the site of the injury to perform ultrasound imaging, focused ultrasound, biomarker sensing, and electrical spinal stimulation. Illustration by Ian Suk
KL2 SCHOLAR CO-LEADS TEAM IN DEVELOPING IMPLANTABLE AND WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR SPINAL CORD INJURIES
From the moment a patient arrives at The Johns Hopkins Hospital with a spinal cord injury that is treatable by surgery, clinicians prepare for spinal decompression and a procedure for stabilization. But after an operation is performed, “we can’t monitor the spinal cord and provide treatment interventions in real-time,” says Nicholas Theodore, MD, MS, director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Spine Center. That all may change, however, thanks to a $13.48 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and a team of Johns Hopkins neurosurgeons and biomedical engineers, working in tandem with academic and industry partners.
Dogs Are Mobilizing to Save Their Humans
Between the COVID-19 global pandemic, incurable diseases, and mental health struggles, 2020 has officially gone to the dogs.
And canines are not taking it lying down.
They are taking over social media, billboards, transit ads, and more sharing why they want to Save Da Hoomans in a campaign from top Chicago universities that’s funded by the National Institutes of Health. Those institutions that are setting aside business for the greater good include The University of Chicago, Rush, Northwestern, Loyola University Chicago, and The University of Illinois at Chicago
ICYMI: News from the Science & Research World |
Wudan holding her vaccination record card. Credit: Wudan Yan
I jumped the queue to get an expiring vaccine.
Did I do the right thing?
Around 10 p.m. last Thursday, I received a call from a friend. The two of us primarily text so a call was out of the ordinary. I picked up immediately, assuming it was an emergency.
She told me that a friend of a friend —a health-care worker who was distributing covid-19 vaccines that evening— was looking for people who wanted one. A freezer containing 1,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine had just gone down. The Moderna vaccine is based on new mRNA vaccine technology, which has unique refrigeration requirements: it must be stored at between -25°C and -15°C (-13°F and 5°F). Once it starts thawing, it has to get into people’s arms within a matter of hours. Once its short shelf life of 12 hours is over, it has to be tossed
NEW RIC COVID-19 Recruitment + Retention Toolkit
The COVID-19 Recruitment and Retention Toolkit provides practical information on how the Recruitment Innovation Center integrates community feedback into the operations of recruitment and retention planning for COVID-19 research. Available for download from the TIN Toolbox.
N3C Data Enclave Training
N3C will hold a 2-part virtual orientation to learn how to use the N3C Data Enclave. These sessions are designed for users of all types. The first 2 sessions will take place in February, and then will alternate week by week for ongoing access.
Session A – Recommended before attending Session B
This session is for those who want to learn about N3C, as well as how to engage with project teams and access the data.
Learning objectives:
- Provide a general overview of N3C, including goals, organization, and community resources such as Domain Teams and Data Liaisons.
- Introduce the 3 data tiers available and important considerations for research driven by the data harmonization process.
- Discuss resources for training and support and the process of the Data Use Request (DUR) required for researcher access.