I am both delighted and saddened to inform you that our own Richard A. Rudick, MD, has accepted a prestigious offer in Boston with the pharmaceutical company, Biogen Idec., where he will have a unique opportunity to pursue his true research passion in the field of multiple sclerosis.

While we are genuinely happy for him and excited to watch his continuing success, we will miss his clear, thoughtful counsel and creative approaches to scientific endeavors. After graduating from the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in 1975, Rick attended residencies at both the University of Rochester and the University of Connecticut. He worked for many years as a respected associate professor of neurology at Rochester, developing a successful leadership style and a talent for training young scientists.

Rick returned to Cleveland in 1987 when he became the director of the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Since then, he has been at the vanguard of innovative medical projects around the area.

Between 2001 and 2007, Rick served as the chief clinical research officer for the Cleveland Clinic, where he supervised all patient-oriented research. In 2003, he became the founding chairman of the Division of Clinical Research. He also directed a multidisciplinary effort to accredit the Cleveland Clinic Human Subjects Protection Program and oversaw the expansion of patient-based clinical and translational research throughout the institution.

He was integral in creating both the Cleveland Clinic department of quantitative health sciences and the department of bioethics. And in 2007, he became vice chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Neurological Institute, in which he directed and managed more than a dozen different departments and centers.

As the chief clinical research officer, Rick established a General Clinical Research Center and ushered in the Roadmap K12 program, a large Roadmap Clinical Research Training Program award from the NIH. Later, Rick morphed this program into the KL2 program currently operating out of the CTSC. Through these programs, Rick focused on educational excellence, stewarding programs dedicated to training and mentorship. He is, himself, a generous and stimulating mentor who can empathize with those under his leadership even as he challenges them to reach for their highest potential. His example has influenced many deserving future scientists in our organization and beyond.

In 1996, Rick was named the Hazel Prior Hostetler Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and in 2003, he became a professor at both the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and at the Center for Clinical Investigation at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

All of these experiences gave him invaluable insight into managing clinical and translational research and patient-oriented directives. When we partnered to initiate the CTSC in 2007, I had already admired Rick's depth of knowledge and selfless devotion to research. And after almost seven years of collaborative endeavors and inspiring results, I can honestly tell you that we, as a program and as individuals, would not have been nearly as successful without Rick's involvement.

Most of Rick's own research has centered on the study and treatment of multiple sclerosis. He has worked in several labs and centers while continuing his own clinical consulting practice at the Mellen Center. He been active in several breakthrough clinical trials, including the development of new clinical and imaging measures for MS patients, and the popular relapse-remitting MS drugs, Avonex and Tysabri.

As a testament to the power of his world-renowned research, Rick has maintained continuous competitive grant funding from the NIH and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for over 25 years.

And now, after spending so many years building prominent programs, Rick has been provided an opportunity at Biogen Idec, Inc. to concentrate his efforts on his passion, multiple sclerosis. Biogen specializes in drugs for neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Rick will be the new vice president for development sciences, a position that will help him promote even more extensive MS treatments. One of his major goals is to develop a network of MS centers and advanced methodologies to collect and measure the effectiveness of MS drugs in clinical practice.

Obviously, losing Rick will be a huge blow to our organization, and all of the organizations of which he is an essential member. But, more than anything, I am overjoyed for him and his auspicious new medical adventure. Biogen is lucky to have him.

Please join me in extending both a kind farewell and a hearty congratulations to Rick. I am positive that he will absolutely excel in his new role, just as he has excelled in all of his previous roles.

Sincerely,

Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator, CTSC

Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs) are organizations of community practices that collaborate with academic and community partners to gain scientific knowledge that leads to improved health care, particularly primary care delivered in community practices (AHRQ 2013). PBRNs were developed to assure that research leads to better health outcomes because it is informed by front-line community based clinicians. In PBRNs, clinicians are involved in the entire research process, including determining the research agenda, framing and defining the research questions, informing the design of the study, participating in data collection, interpreting study results, disseminating study findings, and incorporating new knowledge into clinical practice.

Developmental disabilities include a wide variety of chronic conditions that cause significant lifelong physical or mental impairments.  Examples of developmental disabilities include intellectual disabilities of any cause, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and Down syndrome.  Emerging evidence is documenting health and health care disparities in adults with developmental disabilities (DD).   The federal government regards persons with DD to be a "priority population" for research, and many governmental agencies include them in their lists of "medically underserved populations." 

For the past 20 years, Dr. Carl Tyler MD, MSc, a practicing physician at the Cleveland Clinic, has focused his work on improving the health and health care of persons with DD through clinical care, research, education, and training.  After completing a 3-year NIH-sponsored fellowship in Practice-Based Research Design and Methodology at CWRU, under mentors and PBRN Shared Resource Directors, James Werner PhD, MSSA and Kurt Stange MD, PhD, Dr. Tyler received additional funding to create a Development Disabilities Learning Collaborative with local stakeholders.  The success of the DD Learning Collaborative ignited the collaborative's members to create a new type of PBRN, the Developmental Disabilities (DD) PBRN.  The network is devoted to conducting translational research with developmentally disabled patients and their health and service providers. 

The Practice-Based Research Network Shared Resource, a Core resource of the Cleveland Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC), is providing infrastructure support and mentorship to help build DD PBRN.  The network's purpose is to engage physicians, social service agency leaders, direct caregivers, and disabled patients in collaborative research on the health and healthcare of adults with developmental disabilities.

The DD PBRN is the only PBRN in the country dedicated to conducting translational research with DD patients and their health and service providers. In addition to receiving infrastructure support from the PBRN Shared Resource, this new PBRN is supported by high levels of stakeholder investment including the Arc of Greater Cleveland, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland, clinicians from local hospital systems, residential care providers, as well as patients with developmental disabilities and their family advocates. This diverse group has excellent research potential and recently submitted a proposal to PCORI for an investigation to be conducted within the DD PBRN.

Dr. Jim Spilsbury, principal investigator of the study and assistant professor of general medical sciences at the School of Medicine, and his co-investigators are the recipients of t

To assess how maltreatment rates are affected, local residents will be interviewed about their opinions of their neighborhood culture and their views on maltreatment. Also, the investigators are partnering with Cuyahoga County's Division of Children and Family Services to interview caseworkers assigned to the studied neighborhoods. Census data, property records, social service reports and day care records also will be analyzed.  

The study is a collaboration among the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve. 

 Read more at the Daily

A former Case Western Reserve University graduate student, John Lewandowski, has won $100,000 in a national business competition to help fund the Cleveland-based biomed startup he co-founded, which is developing a test that can rapidly diagnose malaria. The award, funded by Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, was announced early last month.  

In June 2011, the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) awarded an Annual Pilot for Case malaria researcher Dr. Brian Grimberg's study entitled "Pointing out malaria infections with laser light." In 2012, Dr. Grimberg and John Lewandowski  formed Disease Diagnostic Group to develop a handheld device which uses magnets and simple optics to pick up even tiny amounts of the malaria parasite in a patient's blood, promising to save millions of lives a year.

Read more at the Plain Dealer

We are excited to announce that Dr. Raed Dweik has been appointed the new director of our KL2 Scholar Program.

Raed Dweik, M.D. is the Director of the Pulmonary Vascular Program in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic.  He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, and critical care medicine.  Dr. Dweik's clinical interests are in pulmonary hypertension, asthma, critical care, and chronic beryllium disease. He has a joint appointment in the department of Pathobiology in the Lerner Research Institute (LRI) and is Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. 

Dr. Dweik's research interests are in exhaled breath analysis and the role of nitric oxide in cardiopulmonary physiology and disease especially pulmonary hypertension and asthma.  He served on several related national and international panels and committees including: the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Chronic Beryllium Disease Diagnosis and Management Committee, the ATS taskforce to Standardize measurement of Nitric Oxide (NO) in exhaled breath, and the Joint ATS-ERS taskforce on Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC).  He also chaired the ATS committee writing the guidelines for the use and interpretation of exhaled NO (FENO) in clinical practice and the ATS committee on pulmonary hypertension phenotypes. 

Dr. Dweik has been the recipient of many awards including The Best Doctors in America, America's Top Physicians, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World. Dr. Dweik has been the recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award from the Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2000-01, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08 and the Pulmonary Fellowship Program in 2006-07.  In 2007, he also received the Scholarship in Teaching Award from Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Dweik has been a member of the KL2 Steering Committee for a year and a mentor to a KL2 scholar for 3 years. He is passionate about training and translational research and has been a part of the Cleveland Clinic for 20 years with a successful research track and lab. 

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Dweik to his new role!

May 21, 2014 (8am-3:15pm)

Embassy Suites Hotel Independence

Optimal strategies in cancer screening and detection are constantly evolving, and 

Primary care physicians, hematologists, medical oncologists, and nurses should attend this course.

This activity has been approved for a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Join us in congratulating our March 2014 CTSC Core Utilization Pilot Award Recipients!

unresolved subjects with pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiencies"

David Buchner, PhD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

of premature ovarian failure"

Ruth Keri, PhD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"Identifying Phosphoproteomic Signatures that Predict Response to mTOR

and Src Family Kinase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer"

Alan Tartakoff, PhD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"S-Nitrosylation of Human Huntington"

John Tilton, MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"Monitoring Viral Induction of CCR5 Signaling in Memory CD4+ T cells"

Yu Chung Yang, PhD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"Fatty acid oxidation controls cell fate of hematopoietic stem cells"

Apply today for CRSP 401 "Introduction to Clinical Research" course for Summer 2014. Course schedule is July 3 through July 25, 2014, Monday through Friday (8:00 a.m. - 12 noon).

Application forms, details, and step-by-step instructions are posted on our website at http://casemed.case.edu/CRSP/401.cfm. This course can be taken for credit or as a Non-Clinical Research Fellow (Non-CRF) for no credit.

Cost for Non-Clinical Research Fellows (Non-CRF) at 10% of 1 credit hour:  $160.80

Cost for taking this course for credit (3 credits):  $ 4,824.00

1. The Non-Clinical Research Fellow (Non-CRF) (no credit) is available to individuals who hold M.D., D.O., D.P.M.,  N.D., D.D.S., Ph.D., and are associated with a CASE affiliated institution (e.g. University Hospitals, MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic, Louis B. Stokes VA, etc.). 
   
   See Non-CRF at http://casemed.case.edu/CRSP/401.cfm  for additional details. Generally, fellows and residents of Case-affiliated hospitals, who do not have an education allowance, will want to register as Non-CRF students for no credit. Non-CRF students pay ten percent of the regular tuition, plus the cost of books and materials. Please complete both pages of the on-line Application for Non-Degree Admission form. Please be sure to complete the "Non-CRF" section of the application.  
2. The Non-Degree Option (for credit) - individuals who wish to earn credit for this course should review Non-Degree Student Registration Guidelines at http://gradstudeis.case.edu/prospect/nondegree.html and fill out the on-line Non-Degree Application Form.

Please be sure to print out your complete application, scan and e-mail to cciducation@case.edu or fax it to 216-368-0207 - 'Attention - Angela Bowling'. 

Regarding the application process, contact Angela Bowling at 216-368-2601

or axb710@case.edu with any questions or concerns.

Please read this before you fill out the Application for Non-Degree Admissions form or the Non-CRF or Non-Degree Form!

• Use Adobe Reader to fill out the form, you should be able to save your responses.
• Visit http://casemed.case.edu/CRSP/401.cfm to download complete step-by-step instructions to complete the applicable application, obtain parking, and course registration.
• Most all employees of affiliated institutions (e.g. University Hospitals, MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic, Louis B. Stokes VA, etc.) have a CWRU ID#. Please verify whether an ID # is already in place prior to beginning the application (instructions on how to verify is on page 1 of the step-by-step instructions located at http://casemed.case.edu/CRSP/401.cfm).
• Please provide a valid e-mail address that you check regularly.
• International students must provide their foreign address in their country of citizenship; the application will not be processed without this information.
• In Institutional Affiliation filed, please indicate whether you are at UH, RBC, CCF, MHMC, VA, etc.
• In Student Signature field you can type in your name.
• E-mail the completed application to ccieducation@case.edu - this method is preferred! Alternatively, you can fax your completed form to 216-368-0207 attention Angela Bowling. Feel free to call 216-368-2601 with any questions.
• Upon receipt of your application, an e-mail with your course details, parking, and tuition billing information will be issued.
• After your application is processed by the Graduate School, you will receive additional information via e-mail on how to complete your registration online.

Important Note: You will be officially registered for the course only after you complete the online registration through the CWRU Student Information System (SIS)! 

The OCTC is a new statewide initiative under the umbrella of Ohio Governor John Kasich's Medical Corridor project launched with the goals of creating jobs, attracting investors, improving health, and advancing medical science in Ohio.  The OCTC is comprised of Ohio's three (3) CTSA institutions and partners, and aims to utilize a reliant IRB mechanism, economies of scale, unique capacity, and existing statewide expertise to establish a robust clinical trials structure across Ohio.  The OCTC is led by CWRU School of Medicine Dean Pamela Davis, MD, PhD, where James Chmiel, MD serves as the Director and Chief Executive.

All Faculty members at participating institutions are invited to submit applications for Individual and/or Cross Barrett's Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet) pilot projects of up to $50,000 to be funded by the U54 BETRNet.  Deadline for submission is June 6, 2014 with funding expected to begin October 2014.   

Proposals must conform to the following guidelines and must use CTSC Webgrants:

1. Cover page listing contact information for PI and faculty collaborators
2. Proposal (5 pages) in length (excluding references) as follows:
   • Specific aims (1 page)
   • Background and Significance (1-2 pages)
   • Experimental Design (2-3 pages)
3.  NIH biosketches for all faculty participants
4. Detailed budget in CTSC Format

Click here to download detailed Pilot Project Proposal Guidelines.

** Note that a BETRNet project must be directed toward translational research related to Barrett's Esophagus. At least one specific aim should involve either direct patient contact or the study of patient derived tissue samples. More information on the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center on our website.

For more information on BETRNet, visit our website. Information on grant application available at http://webgrants.case.edu or through George Ata, 216-844-3231 or george.ata@uhhospitals.org. Applications must be submitted through WebGrants (http://webgrants.case.edu) by June 6, 2014.

Keynote: Jack Dixon, University of California San Diego
"A New Kinase Family That Plays a Key Role in Bone and Tooth Development"

Plenary Sessions 

• New Developments in ECM Structure and Function
• Novel Insights on Cell-Matrix Interactions
• Morphogenesis
• Genetic Disorders of ECM, ECM Receptors and ECM -Cell Continuum
• Translating the Basics to Patient Care

Concurrent Session Topics

• Basement Membrane: Assembly, Function and Disorders
• Skin Biology and Wound Healing
• Cardiovascular Biology and Disease
• Matrix Receptors, Adhesion and Migration
• ECM Biosynthesis, Assembly and Post-translational Modification
• ECM and the Musculoskeletal System
• ECM as a Mediator of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Immune Responses
• Proteoglycans and Glycobiology
• Tumor Microenvironment
• Cellular Regulation by ECM/Growth Factor Regulation
• Proteinases and Their Inhibitors
• Neural and Ocular ECM
• Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
• Fibrosis and Chronic Disorders

Special Sessions Include

• Career Mentoring and Women Mentoring Women
• Pre-meeting Special Interest Groups and Guest Symposia

August 17-20, 2014

http://www.ncrm.us/Events/csc/landing.cfm

Registration and abstract submission opens March 31, 2014 and early-bird discounts ($100 off) are available until May 1. 

August 17-19, 2015

http://www.mscconference.net/

Planning for MSC 2015 will begin September 2014.

We hope you will make Cleveland your translational science destination every August! 

For the first time in this region, the federal Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) will partner with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), the University of Cincinnati (UC), Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST) to co-sponsor this dynamic and engaging event.

To be held Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at the UC Kingsgate Marriott Conference Center, the forum will address challenges institutions face regarding protection of human subjects, and explore current "hot topics" in research. 

The program features distinguished faculty members from academia, industry and the federal government. 

Marshall L. Summar, MD, Children's National Medical Center, will deliver the keynote address, "Multi-Center Longitudinal Research in Rare Disease: Why? What? How?" 

Jerry Menikoff, MD, JD, MPP, director of the OHRP, will present "Improving Informed Consent."

In addition, there will be 5 "hot topic" tracks with a total of 15 breakout sessions.  Session topics include biobanking, technology and internet-based research, novel research and network-based research.   A full conference schedule isavailable here.  Links for hotel registration are also found on this site.

Registration: $150

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ as well as nursing, psychology, social work, CRP, and CIP continuing education credit.

For more details about the forum, please contact Mina Busch or Mark Schuller, conference co-chairs.  

For assistance registering, please email the CCHMC CME office at cme@cchmc.org or call (513) 636-6732.  

Hope to see you May 21!