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CCTS Digest 11.6 .15 | www.uab.edu/ccts
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In This Issue

Partner Network:
While we invite you to take part in all of our programs, items featuring this icon may be of particular interest. Look for the symbol throughout the Digest. Have news you'd like to share? Send it to: ccts@uab.edu
CCTS KL2 Awards Announced

The CCTS is proud to announce the awardees of our   Mentored Career Development Program (KL2) from UAB and institutions in our Partner Network. They are:
  • Surya Bhatt, MD- "Frequency of diastolic dysfunction in acute exacerbations of COPD"-Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine, UAB
  • Courtney Peterson, PhD-"Meal timing affects on circadian system in human"-Skeletal Muscle Physiology Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
  • Brandon Rocque, MD-"Psychosocial risk and distress in families of newly diagnosed pediatric brain tumor patients"-Department of Neurosurgery, UAB
  • Ceren Yarar-Fisher, PT, PHD-"Effects of ketogenic diet on neuro-recovery in context of human spinal cord injury"-Department of Nutrition Sciences, UAB
Congratulations to each of our awardees! We look forward to hearing more about your work as you advance in your research.

We also extend our gratitude to the panel of reviewers who helped make this KL2 Award process possible. They are (by institution):

Auburn University
Bonnie Sanderson
Jennifer Kerpelman
Salisa Westrick
Richard Hansen

Louisiana State University
Lucio Miele

New York University
Michael Pillinger

Tulane University
Roy Weiner
Lesley Ann Saketkoo

University of Alabama
John Higginbotham

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Sara Knight
Donald Buchsbaum
Smita Bhatia
Mike Saag
Ralph Sanderson
Henry Wang
Robert Oster
Orlando Gutierrez
Gareth Dutton
Peter Smith
Steven Rowe
Meredith Kilgore
David Chaplin
Monika Safford
Mike Mugavero
Andrea Cherrington
Martin Young
 
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Bettina Beech

University of South Alabama
Kim Littlefield

Thank you to all of our applicants, reviewers, and the awardees for taking part in this important program. 
Seminars
Seminars, Symposia and Conferences
Thursday, November 12
"Overview of Statistical Power"
Featuring Dr. David Redden, Chair, UAB Dept. Biostatistics



11am-12:15pm
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South


Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone:  https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/840329197 You can also dial in using your phone: (224) 501-3412 Access Code: 840-329-197


Thursday, November 12
Special Populations with Sheila Moore 
12:30-1:30pm
PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South

 
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/930891813
You can also dial in using your phone: (267) 507-0008
Access Code: 
930-891-813


Friday, November 13
The 10th Annual Research Scientific Retreat
hosted by  UAB Department of Genetics (Heflin Center) in conjunction with HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
UAB Alumni House
Keynote address presented by:

  
Howard Jacob, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Medical Genomics and Chief Medical Genomics Officer
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
 
 
https://www.uab.edu/medicine/genetics/research/scientific-retreats


Sunday & Monday, November 15-16
Network of Minority Health Research Investigators (NMRI) South Regional Meeting 

Who attends?
* Network of Minority Health Research Investigators (NMRI) members
* Underrepresented minority investigators, including post-graduate doctoral students, who are conducting biomedical research in the fields of:
o diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism
o digestive and liver diseases, nutrition
o kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases.
How do I attend?
To attend, fill out and submit the   Enrollment Form.

What happens at the meeting?
* Mentorship
* Poster Presentation
* Scholarly exchange among field leaders
Can I submit an abstract for the poster presentation?
Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts. Visit the  meeting page for more information.
Questions? Contact Dr. Alethea Hill, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing and member of the NMRI at:  ahill@southalabama.edu.


Tuesday, November 17
TIERS: "Research Project Management: Organizing Your Approach to Team Science" 


Featuring  Molly Wasko, PhD
Professor & Chairman of Management, Information Systems and Quantitative Methods, Collat School of Business

No later than Thursday, November 12, 2015
 
Cocktail and heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served beginning at 4:45pm.

4:45-6 pm
PCAMS - 1924 7th Avenue South

Wednesday, November 18
UAB Core and Shared Resources Day

11am-1pm
UAB Rec Center-Center Court

Offers a unique opportunity for UAB's science and technology communities  to come together in a central location to raise awareness about the many shared  research facilities available on campus. Learn first-hand about over  80 cores offering services and specialized equipment on campus.
Event is free and open to anyone: faculty, trainees, staff & the public.  Pizza will be served.  
Sponsored by the University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers (UWIRCs)
Register your organization by Wednesday, Nov. 11, 5 pm.


Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. 
You can also dial in using your phone: (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 718-705-597

Wednesday, December 2
UAB One-Day Metabolomics Workshop
7:45am-2:30pm
Finley Conference Center, Kaul Genetics Building
Sponsored by the CCTS

Metabolites are not simply sources of energy to drive enzymatic reactions, 
but are also the building blocks of the small molecule regulators, e.g., steroid hormones, 
and all the macromolecules in a cell (including DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids and complex 
carbohydrates). They are also regulators of gene and protein methylation/demethylation 
processes.
 
This free, one-day workshop on Wednesday, December 2 in the Finley Conference Center
sponsored by the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science, will introduce 
metabolomics to biomedical investigators. Training will be given in the design of a 
metabolomics experiment, the need for sample extraction, 
the analytical platforms, data pre-processing and statistical analysis,  metabolite 
identification and pathway analysis as well as application of metabolomics 
t o a complex system. 

Full agenda and registration


SAVE THE DATE
Save the Date for Rare Disease Day at NIH

NIH will host its next Rare Disease Day on Feb. 29, 2016. The event aims to raise awareness about rare diseases, the patients they affect and the research collaborations that are addressing rare disease challenges. Sponsored by NCATS and the NIH Clinical Center, the event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Masur Auditorium in Building 10 on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The day will feature tours, posters and exhibits, and presentations. NCATS will provide more information as it becomes available. 

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES


NCATS Accepting Collaborative Proposals for Pre-Clinical Programs
 
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is now accepting proposals to collaborate with its Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs) and Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) program scientists.

BrIDGs scientists collaborate with researchers to advance candidate therapeutics for both common and rare diseases into clinical testing. TRND researchers and their collaborators move new therapeutic candidates through pre-clinical testing, from lead optimization to submission of an investigational new drug application.


REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION

UAB Research Orientation Program - a NEW RESEARCH TRAINING OPPORTUNITY for Faculty, Coordinators, Budget & Regulatory Staff

New to the UAB platform of education offerings for research is a program designed for young investigators and research staff who are new to research (possibly within the first 2 months of starting in research).  
 
The program will be a basic review of how to implement a sponsored- or investigator-initiated study including clinical, regulatory and financial aspects. The intent of this program is to provide a basic overview of implementing a study, familiarize attendees with the language, and hopefully provide guidance on avoiding pitfalls when starting out.  This is not an all-encompassing program, but will provide basic tools and some of the necessary language in order to successfully conduct a research study.
 
We encourage new faculty, coordinators, budget and regulatory staff to attend.  
At this time there is no cost for the program.   Click here for more information.

Fourth Thursday of each month 8am - 12noon in PCAMS (1924 7th Avenue S.).
 
Registration is limited, so please REGISTER early by contacting   Dharti Patel :  Dpatel80@uab.edu.

IRB TRAINING NOTICE

The  UAB Office of the IRB has posted information regarding continuing training for investigators involved in human subjects research that must be completed by December 31, 2015. For more information, please visit: 
http://uab.edu/research/administration/news/Pages/IRB-continuing-training-requirement-for-2015.aspx
 
If you have questions about IRB training requirements, please contact the Office of the IRB at 934-3789.
  UAB's 5th SHORT COURSE ON NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING: TECHNOLOGY AND STATISTICAL METHODS 
December 14-17
 Next-generation sequencing technology is impacting almost all aspects of biomedical research. This technology generates an unprecedented wealth of data that demands novel analysis strategies. While IT infrastructure and bioinformatics developments are obviously required to enable sound information extraction, sophisticated statistical methodologies and algorithms are also essential for interpreting the data. We are calling statisticians, genetic epidemiologists, bioinformaticians, and genome biologists, to discuss the statistical challenges and opportunities in next-generation sequencing data analysis. We believe that this course will provide a venue for exchanging of cutting-edge information and ideas, and fostering collaborations among methodologists, analysts, and biomedical investigators. 

Topics: (tentative) 
Technical overview of NGS (Platforms; chemistry; library construction); Next Generation Sequencing in Methylation Studies; Predicting Causal Variation; StatGenLab - a virtual machine for genetics data analysis; Functional Genomics; Variant Calling & Assembly NGS Data; Rare Variants Analysis; Transcriptome Analysis; ChIP-Seq Data Analysis; Methylation using Bisulfite Sequencing; Cloud Computing; Statistical Methods for NGS Data. 

Deadline for Application: Friday, October 30, 2015. Acceptance decisions will be made by Friday, November 6, 2015. 

Attendance is limited. Please register early. 


Biostatistics
BIOSTATISTICS & BIOREPOSITORY (*new!)

Mondays
Epidemiology/Biostatistics Clinic in The Edge of Chaos
  
This clinic provides the UAB community access to epidemiology and biostatistics resources.  Available most Mondays, 10am-2pm in The Edge of Chaos (Lister Hill Library, 4th floor).  Check the Edge of Chaos calendar   for confirmation of meeting dates and times. 
 

*NEW!*  UAB CCTS Biostatistics & Biorepository Clinic                                                    
Biostats: Weekly on Wednesdays, 11:30am-1pm
Biorepository: First Wednesday of each month, 11:30am-1pm
PCAMS Building 1924 7th Avenue South

We've expanded our Biostats Clinic to include members of our CCTS Biorepository Team. On the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month, experts from our CCTS Core Lab will join the CCTS Biostats experts to answer questions and provide consultative services on any aspect of specimen collection, specimen management, specimen processing and biorepository needs.

The Biostatistics & Biorepository Clinic is open to all faculty members, post-docs, fellows, residents, and students. Attendees are invited to bring statistical and methodological questions about on-going research projects, projects being planned, manuscripts in progress, responses to peer reviewers, and published articles. They are also invited to bring their laptops. Assistance will be provided by members of the  CCTS BERD & Biorepository groups. A light lunch is served.  

 
BERD Design Consultation Available Today
In support of Pilot & Feasibility Projects, the CCTS is offering design consultation through its Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Division (BERD).  A team of methodologists, including experts in Epidemiology (Gerald McGwin, Russell Griffin), Biostatistics (Robert Oster, David Redden, Leslie McClure, Paul Lin), and Statistical Genetics (Hemant Tiwari, Xiangqin Cui) are available to collaborate in the design of  the pilot proposals as well as in their review.  If other methodological expertise is required in the project design, the BERD will recruit the required expertise from among the network of UAB methodologists.
 
If you can't visit the clinic, please contact the BERD  or the Core Lab at your convenience  by emailing ccts@uab.edu,  calling  (205) 934-7442, or connecting through  Research Commons on the CCTS home page. 

Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Training Program

The CTS Training Program is a six-month certificate program that includes approximately 50 hours of didactic instruction and interactive experience.

STARTS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016

Our program provides training in clinical and translational research over a six-month period (January to June) with class on Wednesday mornings, 8-10 am. Videoconference access is available for those away from UAB.

Course content represents the following modules: Clinical Trials, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Ethics, Clinical Genetics Research, Behavioral Research, Outcomes Research, Dissemination of Results, and Grant Writing and Funding Opportunities.

Trainees from Partner Network institutions may attend via videoconference from schools outside of driving range to UAB.  Please contact Wendy Price to access the meeting code.

All of the sessions are presented by experienced clinical and translational researchers or individuals with special expertise in areas such as grants and contracts and regulatory issues. Preceptors include faculty and research staff from across the Partner Network.

For more  information about participation in the program, or if you are interested in presenting, contact Jean Lambert, Training Academy, at:  jeanl@uab.edu .

UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science |   ccts@uab.edu | www.uab.edu/ccts
 Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Sciences
1924 Seventh Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35294