ICTR May 2020 Newsletter                             
In This Issue

  • Covid-19 Research Updates
  • ICTR KL2 Scholars Announced
  • New Institutional Covid-19 Research Collaboratories
  • Single IRB Resources Available
  • Spotlight on Success - New NIH Translational or Clinical Research Grants
Update COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines
An expert panel led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has developed treatment guidelines for Covid-19. Intended for healthcare providers, these guidelines are based on published and preliminary data and the clinical expertise of the panelists, many of whom are frontline clinicians caring for patients during the evolving pandemic. The guidelines are posted online at covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov   and will be updated frequently by the panel as new data are published and other information emerges.
ICTR support for Covid-19 research including access to Biorepository resources, clinical data, biostatistics and research design, and Clinical Research Center services can be found  here .
Introducing New CTSA Junior Faculty Scholars
We are pleased to announce two of this year’s ICTR Scholars. The   KL2 awards   provide support for mentored research career development to junior faculty who have recently completed professional training and who are commencing translational and/or clinical research.

Ali Ezzati MD , Assistant Professor of Neurology
Mentors: Drs. Richard Lipton and Charles Hall
Project Title: Machine learning for Alzheimer’s Disease

Angela Lombardi MD , Research Assistant Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology)
Mentors: Drs. Yaron Tomer, Teresa Dilorenzo, and Jill Crandall
Project title: A translational approach to identify cutting-edge therapeutic strategies in type 1 diabetes
New COVID-19 Research Collaboratories
Einstein investigators can now work together on needed Covid-19 research through Einstein-Montefiore Collaboratories . To start, three collaboratory support areas have been established:
  • Covid-19 Biology and Pathophysiology: Examples of research are potential studies to understand critical aspects of viral infection, replication, pathogenesis, and transmission
  • Therapeutics Development: Examples include pre-clinical drug development and proof-of-concept studies of novel treatments
  • Clinical Disease/Epidemiology: Examples include characterization of the disease course of Covid-19 infection and explanations for its disproportionate impacts among diverse communities   

Faculty will soon receive information on how to join and participate remotely in these research discussion and planning groups. To learn more about these collaboratories and other Covid-19 research resources, click here .
SIRB Services Through Trial Innovation Network
As of January 2020 the NIH has mandated the use of a Single (SIRB) or Central IRB for federally funded, multi-site trials. Investigators seeking SIRB services may submit their project and are assigned to one of the three TIN Single IRBs (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of Utah & Vanderbilt University Medical Center) for oversight. Contact Zoe Tsagaris , Clinical Trials Network Manager to learn more at zoe.tsagaris@einsteinmed.org .
K Awardees Learn About Accessing COVID-19 Data for Research
Parsa Mirhaji MD, PhD gave a presentation to the Mentoring in Translational and Team Science (MeTTS) group on Accessing Clinical Information in the Time of Covid-19 . Dr. Mirhaji focused his talk on Montefiore-Einstein Covid-19 research resources such as the Covid-19 registry, research networks multi-institutional collaborations, and the NIH/NCATS national Covid-19 cohort collaborative. MeTTS is a group network that includes all Einstein junior faculty engaged in clinical or translational research and who have federal, foundation, or institutional career development awards. MeTTS has presentations and discussions designed to support their transition to independent research careers. For more information about the MeTTS program, click here .
IND Training Available
The Office of Human Research Affairs will be hosting a training on Investigational New Drugs (IND) via Zoom on Friday, May 22 at 11am. To RSVP, click here .
New IRB QA/QI Manager
Christopher Eichstedt, PhD, CIP  has taken on a new role within the Office of Human Research Affairs (OHRA) as the  IRB QA/QI Manager . In addition to managing AAHRPP accreditation for Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Eichstedt will be responsible for ensuring the IRB is FDA audit-ready. He will work closely with IRB Manager Jamie Hanley, MPH, CIP and OHRA’s IRB analysts on quality improvement and quality assurance activities and will make recommendations for process improvements within the department. Dr. Eichstedt is available to assist the research community on questions related to federal or state regulations, FDA-regulated drugs and devices, data and specimen research, institutional policies, and AAHRPP accreditation. He can be reached at  christopher.eichstedt@einsteinmed.org .  
Spotlight on Success
Einstein-Montefiore investigators continue to succeed in obtaining funding. Some of these investigators with new grant awards are (from left to right):

Derek Huffman PhD , Associate Professor, Departments of Molecular Pharmacology and Medicine (Endocrinology), Esperanza Aria-Perez PhD , Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine (Hepatology), Vilma Gabbay MD , Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience, Director, Psychiatry Research Institute at Montefiore Einstein (PRIME), and David Spray PhD , Professor, Departments of Neuroscience and Medicine (Cardiology).
Research in the Headlines
Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research