UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is inviting applications for Catalyst Grants. Catalyst Grants support team-building activities that advance translational science and promote collaborations across disciplines and CTSI institutions. Awards will range from $100 to $5,000, depending on the nature scope of the project.

The next cycle to submit an application is July 1, 2013 - August 1, 2013.

Chrisandra Shufelt	Cardiology	Estrogen Deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease in Premenopausal Women
Heather Jones		Acute Lung Injury and Effects of NAMPT and NAM in Modulating Lung Inflammation
Bahman Chavoshan	Medicine/GIM	The role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the pathophysiology of COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction
Anuja Shah	Medicine/GIM	Metabolic Effect of Different Sources of Dietary Phosphorus
James Byrne	Pharmacology	Investigating the Potential of Reprogrammed Pluripotent Stem Cells for Patien-Specific Cellular Immunophenotyping to Differentiate Infection from Rejecting in Inestinal Transplantation
Laura Wozniak	Pediatrics	Develpment of Peer-Led Smoking Cessation
Elizabeth Bromley	Psychiatry	Intervention for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness
Denis Evseenko	Orthopaedic Surgery	Inhibition of the lysophoshatidic acid signaling as a novel strategy for restoration of posttraumatic cartilage
Edward Lee	Radiological Sciences	Potential application of Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) in the treatment of pancreatic cancer
Yoon-Hee Cha	Neurology	Functional Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome
Paul Tumeh	Medicine/Dermatology	A Needle-Free Nanovaccine Against Melanoma
Thao Nguyen	Medicine/Cardiology	Fibrosis, Stress, and Ventricular Arrhythmias

Elain Reed	Pathology	Unknown
Roy Doumani	Pharmacology	"BSC-CTSI University Entrepreneurship Seminar Series"
Oliver Hankinson	Pathology	"Support for Meetings of the UCLA Molecular Toxicology Program"
Elizabeta Nemeth	Medicine/Pulmonary	Estrogen Deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease in Premenopausal Women
Karen Lyons	Orthopaedic Surgery	"Regenerative Musculoskeletal Medicine Training Program Seminar Series"
James Wascheck	Psychiatry	Unknown
Carol Mangione	Medicine/GIM	"Scientific Retreat, Co-sponsored by UCLA/DCU RCMAR/CHIME, CUD/UCLA Project EXPORT, and UCLA CTSI"

Gerald Kominski	Public Health	Unknown
Genhong Cheng	MIMG	25-Hydroxycholesterol and its analogs as novel broad antiviral agents
Steve Horvath	Human Genetics	Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for HIV-Associated Non-AIDS (HANA) condition
Debika Bhattacharya	Medicine/Inf Dis	Cardiovascular and Metabolic Complications of HIV/HCV Co-Infection
Irvin Chen	MIMG	AIDS
Linda Liau	Neurosurgery	Immune and Gene Therapy
Yibin Wang	Medicine/Cardiology	Systems Genetics of Heart Failure: Paving the Road to Translation

UCLA (1) Winter 2012
Christian Roberts	Endothelial Progenitor Cell Quantification in Smokers by a Novel Gating Strategy: Effects of Resistance Training and Nicotine Replacement
Timothy R Donahue	Targeting the chemotherapy-resistant epigenetic reprogramming of stromal cells in human pancreatic cancer
Andrew Dean	Neurobehavioral Predictors of Cognitive Decline in Methamphetamine Dependence
Philip Liu	Defining M. tuberculosis virulence through the genomic interactome
Joanna Schaenman	Analysis of immune control of BK virus replication after kidney transplantation
Jeffrey L. Veale	Monitoring Renal Allograft Dysfunction by Utilizing a Multiplexing Electrochemical Sensor to Measure Combinational Biomarkers: Creatinine and Cystatin-C
Sanaz Memarzadeh	Preclinical trial to assess effectiveness of PARP inhibitors in targeting endometrial cancer
Zoran Galic	Gene expression analysis of the hESC-derived T lineage cells
Daniel Cruz	Deciphering human innate immune networks governed by the microenvironment
Edmond H. Teng	Validation of Plasma Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease in an Animal Model
Brent Fogel	Rare and Novel Genetic Variation in Cerebellar Ataxia
Sepideh Hagvall	De-differentiated fat as a cell source for cardiovascular tissue engineering
Laura Wozniak	Unique Adaptive and Innate Immune Cell Profiles in Tolerant Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients
Susan Krum-Miranda	Estrogen-dependent control of osteoblast-derived collagen architecture
Richard C. Koya	Study of advantageous phenotypic changes in T cells for adoptive cell transfer therapy for melanoma induced by the mutant BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib
Sophie Deng	Bioengineering of human limbal stem cells
Fang Wei	Non-invasive detection of exosomal Lung Cancer EGFR gene mutations by Electric Field Induced Release and Measurement (EFIRM)
Denis Evseenko	Isolation and characterization of human cartilage progenitors
Eileen Tsai	Identification of Plasma Proteins from Biomarker Candidates that Predict Acute Rejection and Monitor Non-adherence in Pediatric Renal Transplantation
Paul Camille Tumeh	A High Throughput Platform to Identify Small Molecules that Enhance T-cell Mediated Melanoma Immunotherapy
Stephen Bensinger	Determining the influence of SREBP on HCV pathogenesis
Giovanni Coppola	Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons to Understand C9ORF72-mediated neurodegeneration
Alistair J. Cochran	Genetic basis of the biology of melanoma metastases
Betty P.T. Tsao	Establishment of relational databases for lupus genetic study
Cathy Lee	Metabolic Effects of Androgenicity in Aging Men and Women
Daniel Geschwind	Treatment of autism-related behavior in the Cntnap2 knockout mouse model
Danny JJ Wang	Virtual Lumbar Puncture using MRI
Donald Kohn	High Through-Put Screening to Improve Gene Transduction of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Elizabeta Nemeth	New drug leads for iron overload
Eric Hoek	High Throughput Screening of Infection Resistant Coating Films
Eric Vilain	Improving Diagnosis of Disorders of Sex Development by Whole Exome Sequencing
Fritz Eilber	Preclinical Imaging of Genetically Engineered and Direct-Patient Xenograft Models of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors
Gal Bitan	A mouse toxicity study of a novel drug candidate
Jonathan Braun	Mucosal proteome in HIV infection
Lee Goodglick	Construction of a Triple Negative Breast Cancer Tissue Array for Translational Research
Patricia A. Ganz	Young Breast Cancer Survivorship Program
Roger Lo	Integrated genomic analysis of melanoma response to BRAF inhibition
Ronald Mitsuyasu	CFAR/UCLA HIV Research Study Volunteer Project
Timothy R Donahue	Targeting the chemotherapy-resistant epigenetic reprogramming of stromal cells in human pancreatic cancer
Charles Drew University (1) Winter 2012
Amira Brown (CDU)	Evaluating dopaminergic gene expression in subcortical brain regions of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice
Shehla Pervin (CDU)	Targeting pERK1/2 in Mammary Cancer Stem Cells
John Elshimali (CDU)	Epigenetic examination of potential genes involved in drug resistance in different types of prostate cancer cells
Cedars-Sinai (1) Summer 2012
Bekir Cinar	Evaluation of Tumorigenesis by Optical Imaging in Live Animals
Yelena Bykhovskaya	High-throughput sequencing of linkage region in multi-generational family with dominant keratoconus
Melodie Metzger	The Relationship between Experimental Serum Vitamin D Levels and Spinal Fusion Strength: a Quantitative Analysis
Ke Cheng	Identification of the functional ingredient(s) of cardiosphere-derived cells
Viorica Ionut	The role of gut-brain communication in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and in T2DM remission after bariatric surgery using fMRI
Wen Chin Huang	SREBP-1/ROS/AR signaling Promotes Prostate Cancer Castration-resistant Progression
Vaithi Arumugaswami	Hepatitis C Virus Clinical Isolates From HCV-HIV Co-infected Patients for Vaccine Development.
Philip Frykman	Fungal Microbiome in Children with Hirschsprung Associated Enterocolitis
Bill Wilcox	High-throughput Drug Screening to Find a Small Molecule Treatment for Achondroplasia
Hyung Kim	Development of Prostate MRI for Active Surveillance
Biagio Saitta	Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Create In Vitro Model of Skeletal Dysplasias.
Miklos Peterfy	In vivo validation of novel genes in lipid metabolism and coronary artery disease
Rivkah Gonsky	Functional Relevance of Epigenetic Modifications in IBD
Mark Pimentel	Deep Sequencing the Small Bowel Microbiome: Role in Human Disease
Robert Barrett	Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from CrohnåÕs disease patients using EBV transformed B-cell lines.
Sandra Orsulic	Development of an Assay to Predict Outcome in Multiple Cancer Types
LA-BioMed-Harbor UCLA (1) Summer 2012
Lin Lin	Differentiation pluripotent stem cells into mature neutrophils
Peter Liu	Testosterone and estradiol pulsatility in men with OSA
Tsui-Fen Chou	Quantitative Cell-based Screens to Identify Drugs and Targets Within the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System
Rebecca Stockton	In Vivo Cerebrovascular Imaging of Mouse Cerebral Cavernous Malformations
Kevin Bruhn	Subversion of Host Defense Pathways by Visceralizing Leishmania Species
Michael Yeaman	Innovative Anti-Infective Agents & Strategies
Ashraf S. Ibrahim	Molecular Diagnostics of Mucormycosis
Noah Craft	Treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis with Topically Applied TLR Agonists
Yan Xiong	Early agr activation is a key pathogenic signature in persistent MRSA bacteremia
Yanhe Lue	Histone Demethylase in XY and XXY Male Germ Cells
UCLA (2) Fall 2012
Roger Lo	Whole-exome sequencing of single circulating melanoma cells: tumor heterogeneity and BRAF targeted therapy.
Satiro De Oliveira	Anti-leukemic Immunotherapy Using Modification of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Jorge Torres	Inhibition of STARD9 in Cancer
Amy C. Rowat	Cancer Prognosis and Treatment by High Throughput Mechanical Screening
Kara Calkins	Fish Oil: A Novel Therapy for Pediatric Intestinal Failure Associated Liver Disease
David Shackelford	Develop novel therapeutic strategies to target LKB1/STK11 deficient non-small cell lung cancer
Zhong Zheng	Silver nanoparticle coated titanium: an antimicrobial and osteoinductive material for orthopedic device fabrication
Heather R. Christofk	Role of MCT1 in cancer metabolism
Pascal F. Egea	Structure-Based Discovery and Design of Novel Anti-malarials
Reza Ardehali	A clonal analysis approach for cardiovascular regeneration
Erina Vlashi	Role of Erythropoietin in Breast Cancer Stem Cells
James Byrne	Pre-clinical transcriptional analysis of human osteogenic dermal mesenchymal stem cells
Matthew Shtrahman	Development of a Novel Test for Seizure Threshold
David Brooks	IMMUNE RECONSTITUTION DURING PERSISTENT VIRAL INFECTION
Aydogan Ozcan	Metallic Nanoparticles Enhanced Recognition of CD4+ T Cells by Lensfree On-Chip Imaging
Debora Farber	Microarray analysis of genes involved in retinal pigment epithelium melanogenesis, a process that is abnormal in ocular albinism.
Xiangdong William Yang	Cell-based screening for disease modifying chemical compounds for HuntingtonåÕs disease
Jane Deng	Correlation between alterations in gene expression and the nasal microbiome following viral infections
Jau-Nian Chen	In vivo chemical suppressor screen for cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure.
Dino DiCarlo	Role of biomechanical single-cell analysis in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer stem cells
Eric Hoek	Antibacterial Self-Doped Polyaniline Coating Films For Biofouling Control On Medical Devices
J. David Jentsch	Identifying Genomic Loci Influencing a Translational Measure of Risk-Taking Temperament
Leonard H. Rome	Vault Nanoparticle Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
Christopher S. Colwell	Non-dipping hypertension in HuntingtonåÕs disease
David B. Reuben	Facilitating Community Services for Dementia Patients
Katherine Narr	Biomarkers of Ketamine response in Major Depression
Mario Deng	Comprehensive Biomarker-based Classification of the Endomyocardial Biopsy
Rachelle H. Crosbie-Watson	A novel gene therapy approach for treatment of cardiomyopathy
Yin Tintut	Regulation of PTH-induced Osteoanabolism by Inflammatory Lipids
Theodore F. Robles	Using LC-tandem mass spectrometry to identify salivary biomarkers predicting post-traumatic stress disorder in trauma patients
Asim Dasgupta	A Novel Anti-viral Approach using Thymidine Kinase Monoclonal Antibody
Berit Kerner	Exome å–Sequencing in Bipolar Disorder
Kang Ting	Fibromodulin reprogrammed cells for bone regeneration
Larry F. Hoffman	Oxidative stress and neuroprotection in inner ear sensory epithelia
Robert T. Clubb	Screen to discover novel Anti-infective agents
Yousang Gwack	Calcium signalling and epigenetics in T cells
Charles Drew University (2) Fall 2012
Satyesh Sinha	Effect of M-CSF/GM-CSF ratio on macrophage polarization in Diabetic Nephropathy
Piwen Wang	Protein targets towards an increased inhibition of prostate tumor growth in SCID mice by a combination of green tea and quercetin
LA-BioMed-Harbor UCLA (2) Fall 2012
Soo Jin Yang	The role of the LytSR sense-response system in resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides in Staphylococcus aureus
Michelina Iacovino	HoxA3 and heart development
Kevin Bruhn	Resiquimod as an Alternative Treatment for American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis
Tsui-Fen Chou	Identification of biomarkers of p97 inhibition for anti-p97 cancer therapy
Christina C. L. Wang	Influence of testosterone on non-alcholic fatty liver disease in men
Patricia Dickson	Biomarkers for Mucopolysaccharidosis
Scott G. Filler	Candida Invasion of Endothelium and Virulence

2012 KL2 Translational Science Scholars

LA BioMed at Harbor-UCLA

Project title: Using Research in Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus to Validate an Efficient System of Quantifying Antibiotic Utilization

Mentors:

Loren G. Miller, MD, MPH – LA BioMed at Harbor-UCLA

Susan S. Huang, MD, MPH – UC Irvine

Martin F. Shapiro, MD, PhD – UCLA

Multidisciplinary Expertise:
Infectious Disease, Health Services Research, Clinical Trials, and Clinical Outcomes Research

Project Description:
Approximately 100,000 Americans die every year from infections acquired in hospitals. HAI due to Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE) are of particular concern. VRE HAI’s disproportionately affect the most immunocompromised hosts, such as organ transplant recipients, and the severely immunosuppressed. Each VRE bloodstream infection (VRE-BSI) is associated with $50,000 of additional healthcare costs and a 35% attributable mortality. The purpose of this investigation is to 1) evaluate the association between antibiotic use and VRE-BSI incidence, 2) investigate VRE-BSI outcomes using improved methodologies, and 3) validate an electronic source of patient-level antibiotic usage data that can be used for investigations of VRE-BSI and further research on other important pathogens.

Dr. McKinnell will work to develop a database to evaluate the association between antibiotic use, VRE-BSI incidence, and outcomes of patients with VRE-BSI from data derived from Ronald Reagan Medical Center. He will also lead efforts to conduct a retrospective chart review to define the predictors of treatment success among hospitalized patients with VRE-BSI and validate the antibiotic database.

Mary E. Sehl, MD, PhD

Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine

Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA

Project title: Modeling of EMT/MET transitions in breast cancer stem cells

Mentors:

Kenneth Lange, Ph.D. - UCLA

Gay Crooks, M.B.B.S. - UCLA

Max Wicha, M.D. – University of Michigan

Multidisciplinary Expertise:
biomathematics, oncology, cancer stem cells

Project description:
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosis in women, with the majority of deaths caused by distant recurrence.

Stem cell-targeted therapies offer new hope in eradicating breast cancer stem-like cells that lead to recurrence after standard therapies fail. Mathematical models have proven useful in studying the population dynamics of cancer stem cells under targeted therapy and are informative in assessing safety and duration of therapy. However, the complexities of the stem cell microenvironment limit the predictive ability of analytic models and suggest the necessity of more informed modeling strategies.

Stochastic simulation methods model rare events that are important in cancer modeling, such as extinction and mutation, and have the ability to address complex dynamics and incorporate feedback of reaction networks in systems biology.  We postulate a model in which breast cancer stem-like cells freely convert between an epithelial (proliferative) and mesenchymal (quiescent, invasive) state, through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse process (MET). The mesenchymal state is identified by CD44, a marker of cell adhesion and invasive potential, while epithelial stem cells can be CD44 negative and express ALDH, a marker of mammary stem cells and predictor of poor clinical outcome (6). Cytokines such as IL-6 and TGF-beta, as well as intracellular signaling and miRNAs, may regulate the interconversion of breast cancer stem-like cells between EMT-like and MET-like states. 

We propose a combination of theoretical modeling with experimental validation to study the rates and regulators of EMT/MET transitions in breast cancer stem-like cells. We apply our model to predict alterations in stem cell populations and their regulatory pathways in response to niche-targeted therapy. Ultimately, predictions of therapeutic efficacy and safety could be validated in clinical trials and used to guide drug development and plan therapy duration. We envision that extinction models will provide a novel approach to therapeutic design.

Mentors:

Steven M. Dubinett, MD – UCLA

Hong Wu, MD, PhD – UCLA

Multidisciplinary Expertise:
Translational cancer research, signal transduction, metabolism, lung carcinogenesis, genetically engineered mouse models of lung cancer, micro PET-CT imaging

Project Description:
My project focuses on identifying and testing novel therapies for the treatment of early stage LKB1-deficient lung tumors. The LKB1 tumor suppressor functions as a master regulator of cellular growth, metabolism and survival.  Importantly, the LKB1 gene is frequently mutated in ~35% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) however, the molecular mechanisms driving tumor growth following LKB1 mutations are poorly understood and to date there are no therapies that target LKB1-deficient lung cancer.  As more targeted therapeutics for NSCLC are needed, I explored use of biguanides, traditionally used to treat diabetes, as metabolic stress agents to target LKB1-deficient lung tumors.  At a cellular level, LKB1-deficient tumor cells are unable to respond to energy stress and selectively undergo increased apoptosis following treatment with metabolic stress agents such as biguanides. The selective sensitivity of LKB1-deficient tumors to metabolic stress presents an Achilles heel to exploit and opens a therapeutic window from which to target LKB1-deficient cells. Additionally, loss of the LKB1 gene results in elevated mTOR signaling that results in increased tumor growth and proliferation.  My project will investigate the use of biguanides (metformin or phenformin) in combination with targeted mTORC1 inhibitors (rapamycin or INK128) for the treatment of LKB1-deficient NSCLC.  I will perform preclinical studies using genetically engineered mouse models of lung cancer to assess the efficacy these novel drug combinations in vivo.  Using micro 18FDG-PET and bioluminescence imaging in combination with detailed immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis I will dissect the molecular signaling pathways driving tumor growth and survival in LKB1-deficient lung tumors. With this multifaceted approach I aim to uncover novel pathways that can be exploited therapeutically in LKB1-deficient tumors. My overarching goal is to identify new, clinically relevant therapeutic strategies to treat patients with NSCLC harboring LKB1 mutations.

2011 Translational Science Scholars

Amira K. Brown, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Internal Medicine Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science Project: Effects of varenicline on alcohol and nicotine consumption and changes in dopamine d2-like receptor availability in high-alcohol-preferring mice

Mentors:

Theodore Friedman, MD, PhD - Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science

Mark Mandelkern, MD, PhD - VA Greater Los Angeles Health System

Multidisciplinary Expertise:
Endocrinology, Medical Physics, Pharmacology, Psychology

Project Description:
Dopamine is a chemical in the brain with many important functions. This project aims to understand the role of the dopamine receptor system in concomitant alcohol and nicotine abuse and treatment.

The project specifically focuses on the d2 dopamine receptor, which is involved in reward-seeking behavior. Lower d2 dopamine receptors have been shown in animal models of addiction and substance abusers.

Positron emission tomography (PET) will be used to characterize the dopamine d2 receptor profile in the brains of high-alcohol-preferring (HAP) and low-alcohol-preferring (LAP) mice. We expect that HAP mice will have significantly lower dopamine d2 receptor availability in an area of the brain called the striatum when compared to LAP or normal, wild-type mice.

This study also will examine the effects of varenicline, a smoking-cessation drug, on dopamine d2 receptor availability, nicotine and alcohol consumption in HAP and LAP mice. HAP mice will increase their voluntary alcohol consumption following chronic nicotine exposure; that increase will be related to decreases in striatal d2 receptor availability. However, following varenilcine treatment, HAP mice exposed to chronic nicotine are expected to decrease their voluntary intake of alcohol; that decrease in alcohol intake will be related to increases in dopamine d2 receptor availability.

Results from this study will provide important scientific and clinical information regarding the role of the dopamine receptor system in the underlying mechanisms of comorbid alcohol and nicotine preference. Moreover, finding an effective pharmacotherapy for this addiction is crucial; as such, the project will determine whether changes in dopamine receptors are involved in the efficacy of varenicline treatment success.

Joshua J. Zaritsky, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Pediatrics Division of Pediatric Nephrology Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA Project: Hepcidin and the anemia of chronic kidney disease

Mentors:

Isidro Salusky, MD - UCLA

Tomas Ganz, MD, PhD - UCLA

Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, MD, MPH, PhD - LA BioMed at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Multidisciplinary Expertise:
Nephrology, Pediatrics

Project Description:
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA)(drugs used to spur red blood cell production), are an important component of anemia therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). ESA hyporesponsiveness, however, occurs frequently and is often associated with iron deficiency and inflammation as well as poor outcomes. Given the urgent need to explore novel approaches that can allow ESA dose reduction as recently recommended by the FDA, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms that link inflammation, iron balance and erythropoiesis in CKD. Hepcidin, a protein produced in the liver, is a key regulator of iron homeostasis. Preliminary data indicates that hepcidin accumulates in CKD, making it likely that hepcidin plays a major role in the anemia of CKD as well as ESA hyporesponsiveness.

This project aims to expand our knowledge of hepcidin biology in the setting of CKD. It will examine two hypotheses: (1) Does progressive loss of kidney function directly lead to increased hepcidin levels? and (2) Do these increased hepcidin levels contribute to iron restriction and anemia in experimental animals with CKD?

This project will provide crucial knowledge as to whether hepcidin contributes to the anemia of renal disease and ESA hyporesponsiveness and thus will help to optimize anemia treatment of CKD.

Gelareh Z. Gabayan, MD, MSHS Assistant Professor Medicine/Emergency Medicine David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA VA Greater Los Angeles Health System Project: Patterns and predictors of poor outcomes following emergency department discharge in older adults

Mentors:

Catherine A. Sarkisian, MD, MSPH - UCLA

Arthur Kellermann, MD, MPH - RAND

Jerome R. Hoffman, MD, MA - USC

Multidisciplinary Expertise:
Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, Health Services Research

Project Description:
This project assesses Emergency Department (ED) quality and patient safety by evaluating the factors associated with poor outcomes following an ED visit. In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente Southern California and using a case-control study design, this study will identify the patterns and predictors of short-term mortality or an ICU admission following discharge from the ED in older adults. The ultimate goal of this project is to reduce the incidence of preventable poor outcomes following discharge from the ED through the implementation of feasible and practical Emergency Department systems-based interventions.

Project Title	UM Scholar	UCLA Scholar
Alzheimer's Disease Coordinated Care for Hispanic and Latino Seniors	Josheph E. Gaugler	Joshua Chodosh
HIE Use in Small- and Medium-Sized Primary Care Practices: Understanding & Eliminating the Disparity	William Riley	Hector Rodriguez
Correlation of Early Childhood Caries Risk and Obesity in Preschool Age Children Via Salivary Testing	Robert Simon Jones	Francisco J. Ramos-Gomez

Request for Applications from Investigators at All CTSI Partner Institutions (UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, Harbor-UCLA/LA-BioMed, Charles Drew University)

The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) provides the infrastructure to translate scientific discoveries into innovations that improve health in Los Angeles and the nation. To achieve its mission and advance translational research, the CTSI periodically awards vouchers to defray the cost of core services. Under this RFA, the CTSI will award vouchers to investigators at all CTSI partner institutions (UCLA and Charles Drew University up to 30 vouchers, Cedars-Sinai up to 15 vouchers, and Harbor-UCLA/LA-BioMed up to 8 vouchers) worth up to $10,000 in core services.

Click here for details.

Our comprehensive UCLA CTSI Translational Research Grant Program has been initiated with intramural funding (institutional resources, donors, and industry) and supports the full range of translational team science. The program encompasses (1) CTSI Scholars Translational Seed Grants, (2) Team Cluster Seed Grants, (3) Technology Transfer and Prototype Grants, (4) Novel Translational Technologies and Methodologies Grants, and (5) Catalyst Grants. In addition to serving the entire spectrum of CTSI partner faculty members, these five programs are critical to the development of projects by CTSI Institute Scholars and new faculty recruits. The program is designed to serve as a tangible integrating resource that activates and binds translational research collaborations. In keeping with the intended purpose of facilitating and advancing translational medicine, investigators have the opportunity to minimize additional costs in project implementation by utilizing all of the key CTSI functions. When fully implemented, the grant application and review process will be operationally streamlined as an all-electronic enterprise.

The UCLA CTSI has developed grants to support multidisciplinary team-based research that addresses major health problems in our community. The UCLA CTSI Team Science Awards are aimed at generating ideas and interventions that lead to improved health outcomes within specific diseases. Teams include members from multiple disciplines, and when possible, also include basic or clinical-translational scientists, trainees, university or community-based medical practitioners, patient advocates, health services and comparative effectiveness researchers, and industry representatives. The teams are encouraged to include faculty from a variety of schools such as law, business, engineering, and education. In addition, we have encouraged each team to include investigators from all four partner institutions. The purpose of these grants is to enable researchers to obtain the necessary preliminary data in order to apply for extramural research grants. Since the program was initiated, we have partnered to fund 8-10 Team Science Awards ranging from $25,000 - $200,000/year. We are striving to leverage our resources in this area so that we can fund up to 8 grants annually. The Team Science Awards make use of the resources of CTSI Program Areas such as the Community Engagement and Research Program (CERP); Biomedical Informatics Program (BIP); Biostatistics, Study Design, and Clinical Data Management Program (BSD-CDM); and the Center for Translational Technologies (CTT).

If your area of research addresses a major health problem in our community that is not already included in the list below, it may be eligible for one of these broad multidisciplinary grants. A letter of intent (LOI) from an Organization (Department, Organized Research Unit (ORU), Center, etc…) representing a specific disease area in clinical translational science should be addressed to Dr. Kavitha Rajavel, Technology Officer, CTSI, to initiate the process.

The LOI must provide

1. a description of the program area,
2. an administrative leadership plan, and
3. a description of the co-funding (non-CTSI sources must contribute a minimum of 50% co-funding); please list total budget and the amount being requested from CTSI.

Please note that all CTSI Team Science Awards must have a formal RFA that is disseminated widely to the open research community, and all proposals must be competitively peer reviewed.

The UCLA CTSI KL2 Translational Science Award supports highly qualified junior faculty to conduct mentored, interdisciplinary, patient-oriented research. The program is specifically designed to meet an important goal of the UCLA CTSI: To provide the next generation of clinicians with the training they need to conduct research across engineering, physics and other disciplines to improve health.

Please refer to the Application guidelines for detailed information.

In many instances, technology transfer responsibility and opportunity rest with the academic investigator's team and institution. Therefore, translating academic research into a potential clinical intervention usually requires creating a commercial entity that will generate funding for important steps in development such as animal toxicology and phase I human clinical studies. Most academic investigators lack training in technology transfer and commercial interests required for this transition. As a result, many promising discoveries are not translated from bench to best clinical practices. To address a portion of this gap, UCLA CTSI is in the process of developing Technology Transfer and Prototype funding mechanisms.

The Technology Transfer Grants will serve as a mechanism to fund preclinical studies and phase I trials. Such grants could be applied in conjunction with the NIH-RAID Pilot (Rapid Access to Interventional Development) to make available, on a competitive basis, critical resources needed for the development of new small molecule therapeutic agents. Technology Transfer Grants could also be used in tandem with Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research grants to facilitate development from scientific investigations into final products for commercialization and application. The UCLA CTSI Office of Investigator Services will assist the principal investigators with the application process.

Prototype Grants will be instituted initially on a small scale but we plan to expand this program eventually depending on demand and results. We anticipate that once the Prototype Grants program is up and running, it will provide up to $50,000 to seed the development of a new clinical agent or device. We expect that two Prototype Grants will be funded initially. As with Technology Transfer Grants, we will be assisted in the evaluation and funding of the grants by research investment organizations. UCLA has a history of successfully developing medical devices that hold promise for major advances. Notable examples include the nicotine patch, invented by UCLA addiction researchers Drs. Murray E. Jarvik and Jed Rose, and the Guillaume coil to treat aneurysms. When Technology Transfer and Prototype grants become available, a link will be posted here.

The Clinical and Transitional Research Center (CTRC) at the Westwood campus provides nursing, nutrition and laboratory support for outstanding clinical research at all stages—phase I studies to multi-center trials. With the recent successful application and funding of the CTSI grant (NCATS UL1TR000124), the CTRC is a newly renovated state-of-the-art research center that, in addition to our inpatient 6W unit in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, provides superior service to investigators.

The CTRC has three broad goals: (1) Transition from research-related clinical care funded by the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) grant (ended 6/31/11) to a model of shared costs between the primary NIH (or similar non-profit) grant of the Investigator and the CTRC, (2) Maintain the ability to provide all forms of research-related clinical care, and (3) Develop a fiscal model that can be sustained without external funding and allows growth of the clinical and translational research mission.

The CTRC Seed Grant Program is designed to foster pilot studies that use CTRC facilities and staff as well as its full range of cost-effective laboratory testing in the Clinical Translational Research Laboratory (CTRL). See http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/ctrc.

This call for seed grant proposals seeks to establish collaborations between UCLA investigators and the CTRC in four categories:

1. A pilot project to demonstrate feasibility and assist in power calculations. Typically this would be an established investigator pursuing a new clinical research direction or a new translational project.
2. Collaborative partnerships between two or more faculty, with a preference for at least one faculty new to clinical translational research and/or the CTRC. Successful projects would establish linkages between faculty and the CTRC and its investigators to accelerate translation of basic scientific knowledge into a better understanding and treatment of human diseases.
3. Mentoring partnerships between an emerging investigator (i.e., junior faculty) new to clinical research and at least one established clinical translational researcher and/or CTRC investigator, with an emphasis on career development in the area of clinical research.
4. An investigator initiated phase I trial.

These Seed Grant Awards are expected to (1) lead to larger projects that will be appropriate for independent funding from a government agency or private foundation, (2) make significant use of the Westwood CTRC services, especially nursing and nutrition, and (3) result in at least one peer-reviewed publication.

To apply, applicants or mentors must hold a UCLA faculty position; faculty at UCLA affiliate institutions (e.g., WLVAMC, CSMC, Harbor-UCLA) are eligible. Collaboration with researchers at the Westwood campus is encouraged and can be facilitated if needed. Researchers or emerging investigators focused on health disparities and/or disabilities are encouraged to apply.

For more information view the entire RFP here.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 25, 2013 (Monday 5 pm)
FUNDING AMOUNT: $25,000 per project (direct costs)
BUDGET PERIOD: June 1, 2013 – May 31, 2014

The UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) invites applications for grants to fund pilot and/or feasibility studies for biomedical, epidemiological or behavioral research. This funding is made available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program which funds the UCLA CART, with Semel Institute departmental “Autism Initiative” funds to CART, and by collaborative funding from the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). The UCLA CART is an ACE Center, and also leads two ACE Networks, as funded by NIH as part of a nationwide set of research programs. The UCLA center’s activities are wide-ranging and include the integration of clinical, imaging, genetic, and basic science research to create a synergistic milieu that maximizes the productivity of the participants and attracts other investigators to the field of autism.

PURPOSE: The purpose of these awards is to foster interactions and interdisciplinary research projects in the basic and clinical areas of autism. Preference will be given to projects that are likely to lead to successful future funding (by R01-type awards, etc). Proposals addressing the mechanism and treatment of autism are encouraged. Projects can also build upon the UCLA CART’s mission and current research activities; descriptions of CART’s mission and research, including the previously funded pilot grants, and this announcement are available at our website www.autism.ucla.edu.

ELIGIBILITY: Funds are available to the UCLA academic community including new investigators, investigators from other fields willing to bring their research expertise to autism studies, and for investigators whose proposed research would constitute feasibility testing. Funds are not intended to supplement ongoing supported research of an established investigator. Postdoctoral fellows are eligible only if they have a UCLA appointment by June 1, 2013 and provide documentation of support of a faculty sponsor (who must serve as the Co-PI on the grant application), confirmed space allocation and a UCLA appointment, each through the entire award period.

AWARD TERMS: These pilot project awards are for one-year only and are limited to $25,000 (direct costs) per project. Funds will not be awarded for equipment costs or for salary or benefits for the principal investigator, postdoctoral fellow or any study personnel who hold an academic appointment. An investigator is eligible only once for the pilot support unless the additional proposed study constitutes a substantial departure from the previous research. All applications involving humans or animals must have IRB or ARC approval at UCLA or an UCLA-affiliated institute before the funds will be released. The funding period for 2013 awards is June 1, 2013 – May 31, 2014.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES: The proposals must present a testable hypothesis, clearly delineate the question(s) being asked, detail the procedures to be followed and discuss how the data will be analyzed. Specifically, the proposals may be up to 5 pages and must include: Abstract (250 words or less), Specific Aims, Background, Preliminary Studies, Experimental Design and Methods, and Significance. In addition, the literature references should be attached along with the following NIH (PHS 398) standard forms: the investigator’s 2-page biographical sketch, budget with detailed justification, and other outside funding support. If funded, the investigator also will need to provide a summary of the project in lay language and be willing to present the findings at CART & CTSI lectures and meetings.

Please submit 3 hardcopies (and email the complete application as one PDF) of your application on or before March 25, 2013 (Monday, by 5 pm) to CART’s Director of Operations & Outreach:

Candace J. Wilkinson, Ph.D., Semel/NPI Institute, Room 68-237; 760 Westwood Plaza; Los Angeles, CA 90024. If you have questions, you may contact Dr. Wilkinson at 310.825.9041 or e-mail: cwilkinson@mednet.ucla.edu

Full CART announcement can also be found here.

Pilot Funding for Research in Women’s Health
The Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center Executive Advisory Board / CTSI Award
Funding Amount available: $30,000 one year pilot awards for all types of research

• Pilot funding is available for UCLA researchers who perform women’s health research, and/or research where exploration of sex and gender-based differences is relevant.  Research proposed should be consistent with the mission of the Women’s Health Center.
• Letter of Intent and full CV must be submitted by interested UCLA faculty by noon, Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 (contact information below).

Full RFP details are attached and available here.  (Invitees Only) Pilot proposals will be due March 25. 2013 at 5pm PST.

Fellowship Funding for Research in Women’s Health
The Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center / CTSI Young Investigator Award
Funding Amount available: $20,000 one year fellowship

• Fellowship funding is available for one Ph.D. candidate (including M.D. Ph.D. or other dual degree) or post-doctoral student engaged in research related to women’s health.  Research proposed should be consistent with the mission of the Women’s Health Center.
• One-page letter of intent , full CV and NIH biosketch of applicant, and letter of support and full CV and NIH biosketch of principal mentor by e-mail for review must be received by noon, Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 (contact information below).

Full RFP details are attached and available here.

Submission: Online CTSI website at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/Awards/TSATansNeuro/tsa-neuro-view

Date & Time: Proposal should be submitted by 5:00 pm PST on April 1, 2013.

Grant Description: The Neuroscience/CTSI community is accepting applications for Team Science Award in Translational Neuroscience from research teams at CTSI partner and affiliate institutions to conduct multidisciplinary, team-oriented and high-impact research in the area of neuroscience. Each research team will receive up to $100,000 from CTSI to be matched by an equal amount in matching funds shared by the UCLA Brain Research Institute, the Departments of Neurobiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychology, and the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. The award provides maximum support of up to $200K for one year for salary support, benefits and research supplies. We intend to fund 1-2 proposals.

Specific Information:
Team Science Award in Translational Neurosciences
The Neuroscience Community in collaboration with the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute is pleased to announce the UCLA Neuroscience/CTSI Team Science Award in Translational Neurosciences for research teams from CTSI partner institutions (UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, Charles Drew University, LA-Biomed) and CTSI-affiliated institutions (RAND, Olive View UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System) to conduct novel, multidisciplinary, team-oriented and high-impact research in the area of neuroscience. The Team Science Award in Translational Neurosciences is intended to catalyze team science among CTSI partner and affiliate institutions to plan for submission of large extramural grants. Neuroscience related disorders and diseases represent a major challenge in health care with limited therapeutic options. This initiative is specifically designed to meet an important goal of the UCLA CTSI: To support emerging, high-impact, multidisciplinary research programs that aim to tackle the multi-factorial complexity in the mechanisms and manifestations of the diseases, and to promote accelerated translation between basic science research and clinical practice.

Who May Apply:
The Neuroscience/CTSI Team Science Award seeks to fund new research teams of established investigators utilizing innovative, shared research approaches, tools, models and concepts to bring a new paradigm to our current understanding and to have a transformative impact in the field.

Specific Requirements:

• The research team must have multiple projects that revolve around a specific area of translational neuroscience and use complimentary and synergistic approaches. The team-oriented approach is essential to the feasibility and potential success of the proposal.
• Research teams must be led by a principal investigator (PI) who is full-time faculty at a CTSI partner or affiliate institution with a proven track record of high-impact research and productivity and leadership in the research area.
• Each research project must be led by a project leader who is a full-time faculty at one of the CTSI partner or affiliate institutions and has recognized expertise to lead the proposed project.
• The proposal should not overlap with any current NIH-funded program projects or center grants in which team members participate.

Selection Criteria:

• Significance: The proposal should have substantial impact to advance our current understanding of a brain disorder or disease and to translate the new knowledge into more effective and personalized therapies.
• Innovation: The novelty of the proposal will be evaluated at conceptual, methodological and organizational levels. Newly established collaborative efforts will be a priority for this funding source.
• Teamwork: The proposal should foster stronger interaction among existing collaborations and create new opportunities for additional collaborations to enhance synergy. Projects that cross CTSI partner affiliate institutions are preferred but not required.
• Feasibility: Strong preliminary results and track record of the expertise among team members.
• Productivity: Record of high-impact publications among team members.

Submission Guidelines: (must use standard NIH page setup and font requirements)

• An abstract of maximal 600 character limit research description in Lay language
• One page of Specific Aims limited to 3,000 characters
• No more than FIVE pages of Research Proposal including Significance, Innovation, Preliminary Data and Experimental Plan.
• Program Development. One-page describing team organization, synergy and program development.
• Plans for supporting the project beyond the grant period limited to 3,000 characters.
• NIH-formatted biosketches (4-page limit with maximal of 15 representative publications) for the principal investigator, project leaders and key personnel.
• A consolidated resource page stating major infrastructure and institutional support specifically for the proposal.
• Review will be conducted by a committee charged by the Neuroscience Planning Committee. This includes initial distribution to experts for peer review and evaluation with scoring on a scale from 1 to 10. Please note that written critiques cannot be provided as CTSI guarantees all Faculty members that their comments and scores are confidential

Additional Requirements:
The applicants must specify the exact extramural funding mechanism being targeted and application deadline (e.g., NHLBI P01 for June 1, 2013). Applicants must identify specific CTSI resources to be utilized and explain how the proposed research is translational. Progress reports and end-of-project reports will be required; templates will be provided. Presentations of posters at BRI and CTSI-sponsored meetings are encouraged. Successful applicant Co-PIs must provide their field of specialization and their NIH Commons ID.

CTSI Specific Requirements:
Prior to transfer of these funds, appropriate IRB/ARC approvals must be in place. In accordance with NIH policy, please amend your relevant IRB and/or ARC protocol to disclose funding support from the UCLA CTSI Grant number UL1TR00124; please submit copies of your IRB, and/or ARC approval to Kavitha Rajavel, (KRajavel@mednet.ucla.edu).
The continued funding of the CTSI grants is dependent on the program’s success. For this reason, it is important that any publications (journal articles, websites, papers, testimonials, etc.) resulting in whole or in part from this project should acknowledge support from both by including the following statement: “This project received support from both the NIH/NCATS UCLA CTSI Grant Number UL1TR000124”. Please notify the CTSI of any subsequent extramural grant support obtained that is relevant to this grant funding.

Budgets:
Proposals must include budget and budget justification using NIH format, including personnel costs, specific planning activity costs and other support for key personnel. No indirect costs are allowed.

Award Date:
Funding will start on July 1, 2013 upon approval from CTSI and after all required documents are received by the Brain Research Institute. The award period will be for one year.

How to Apply:
Online CTSI website at http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/Awards/TSATansNeuro/tsa-neuro-view
Please address questions related to this RFA, to Ms. Terry Novorr at tnovorr@mednet.ucla.edu

UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI)
695 Charles E. Young Drive South #1506
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 825-5062 (Phone)
(310) 206-5855 (Fax)

UCLA / Charles Drew University (CDU) Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research / Center for Health Improvement of Minority Elderly (RCMAR/CHIME) and UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Pilot-study Awards.

• Three (3) one-year pilot-study awards are available of up to a total of $40,000 each -- $20,000 funded from the UCLA / Charles Drew University (CDU) Resource Center for Minority Aging Research / Center for Health Improvement of Minority Elderly (RCMAR/CHIME) and $20,000 funded from the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).
• Applications are accepted from junior-level, minority faculty researchers in academic institutions in Southern California, who are interested in conducting pilot research on minority elderly populations. We are particularly interested in researchers proposing to study African-American and Latino elders either in participatory research within local communities and/or using secondary data analyses.
• Research should be consistent with the goal of the UCLA/CDU RCMAR/CHIME, which is to provide a research infrastructure of training and mentoring junior-level minority faculty who can advance their academic careers by conducting pilot-study research that contributes to the reduction of health disparities affecting minority elders. Typically, pilot studies that are selected involve developing the evidence base or providing preliminary data for intervention trials that aim to address disparities in the health care of older minority populations. Ideally, these pilot studies will also demonstrate effective inter-institutional and/or academic-community partnerships.
• Required application documents include a cover letter, a letter of intent, a current CV of applicant, and a current CV or NIH Biosketch of mentor(s).
• Selection process of Letters of Intent will be based on:
  1. Meeting junior level faculty and race/ethnicity requirements;
  2. Credentials of applicant to conduct the proposed research;
  3. Qualifications of mentor(s) to assist the applicant with career development and/or research
  4. Quality of proposed pilot-study research and feasibility of it being completed within one year;
  5. Relatedness of proposed pilot-study research to the RCMAR/CHIME goal of supporting research that contributes to the reduction of health disparities affecting minority elder populations; and
  6. Likelihood that proposed research will lead to publication of at least one (1) first-authored, peer-reviewed manuscript plus subsequent funding from the National Institutes of Health, particularly the National Institute on Aging.

  Full RFA details are available here:

  About UCLA/CDU RCMAR/CHIME & the UCLA CTSI
  The UCLA/CDU RCMAR/CHIME and the UCLA CTSI are based in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. RCMAR/CHIME is funded under NIH/NIA Grant Number 2P30AG021684, and the UCLA CTSI is funded under NIH/NCRR/NCATS Grant Number UL1TR000124.

  For information about UCLA/CDU RCMAR/CHIME, go to: http://www.chime.ucla.edu
  For information about the national RCMARs, go to: http://www.rcmar.ucla.edu
  

The Clinical and Translational Science Institutes (CTSIs) of UCLA and the University of Minnesota announce the 2012 Cross-Institutional Awards for Health Disparities Research and Health Systems Change. The awards are designed to improve health and health care in diverse communities through productive partnerships among researchers, clinicians, and community-based organizations.

Award Description

The Cross-Institutional Award for Health Disparities Research and Health Systems Change supports pilot projects that address health disparities and health systems problems of importance to Southern California and Minnesota. Awards are expected to lead to submission of an application for extramural funding. This opportunity will provide up to three, one-year awards of $50,000–$75,000 each.

Background

Translational research is focused on “translating” basic scientific discoveries into health interventions, and then moving those interventions into clinical practice to improve patient care and population health. Translational research aims to accelerate the pace of discovery, speed the application of new knowledge to novel prevention strategies, diagnostics and treatments, and transfer these innovations to health care providers and the public.

Clinical and Translational Science Institutes (CTSIs) provide the research infrastructure to support translational research. The CTSIs support pilot studies, train young researchers, and engage schools and communities in health improvement. The CTSI program is led by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.

An important goal of the CTSI program is to effectively engage communities in translational research. This RFA seeks projects in which community-based organizations participate fully with faculty in the research process. Research questions must be relevant to community needs and community organizations must be involved in the formulation, execution, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of the research.

RFA is available here.  Letters of Intent are due by October 1, 2012.  Click here to submit your LOI.

The UCLA Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) and the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) are soliciting applications for the Rapid Grants Program for aging-related basic, clinical and health services research. Award size will range from $1,000 to $10,000, dependent on scope of work. The Principal Investigator must be a UCLA junior faculty member or advanced trainee. Priority will be given to investigators who have not been prior recipients of OAIC funding. Funds will be awarded for this opportunity as long as they are available. However, all funds must be spent by June, 30 2012.

For more information, please click here.

UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute-Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) Collaboration Grants provide up to $30,000 for a period of one year to test solutions that enable LAC DHS to improve and increase delivery of high quality, patient-centered services without increasing costs.  UCLA CTSI and LAC DHS anticipate making up to five (5) awards.

For information about deadlines, eligibility and requirements and the review process, please see the RFA.

This round of applications are due February 15, 2013 at 5:00 pm, 2013, Pacific Time.  Click here for details and to apply.

• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

  (310) 423-2475
  Jerlyn Tolentino

• Charles Drew University of Medicine and Sciences

  (323) 249-5707
  Maria Diaz-Romero
  

• Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

  (310) 222-2503
  Alla Victoroff

• University of California, Los Angeles

  (310) 825-0791
  Marisa Briones