University of Rochester
Clinical and Translational Science Institute
The University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) is the academic
home for clinical and translational science at the University. It is funded in large measure by a Clinical
and Translational Science Award from the NIH. The UR was one of the first 12 institutions to earn an
award under this program. Thomas A. Pearson, MD MPH PhD, serves as Principal Investigator and
Program Director. The overall goals of the Institute are (1) to organize, support and expand clinical and
translational research at the University within a centralized infrastructure; and (2) to integrate and
collaborate with regional and national institutions to expand a national network for clinical and
translational science.
The UR CTSI is located in the new 200,000 sq. ft., LEED-certified (at the gold level) Saunders
Research Building at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The building is one of the first of its
kind in the nation, and provides specially-designed space where faculty conducting clinical and
translational research work alongside students and trainees in existing and new degree-granting
programs. Groundbreaking took place in October 2008 and the building opened in April 2011. Also
within the building are supporting regulatory and administrative functions, and faculty working in
collaborative disciplines such as biostatistics, epidemiology, and biomedical informatics. The UR CTSI
acts as a hub, integrating the clinical and translational science functions contained in the Saunders
Research Building with four affiliated URMC research centers, namely the Center for Human
Experimental Therapeutics, the Clinical Research Center, the Center for Research Implementation and
Translation, and the Center for Community Health.
Significant accomplishments of the UR CTSI include the following:

During its first six years, the CTSI distributed peer-reviewed pilot funding valued at about $4.1
million, resulting in additional extramural grants valued at $27.6 million.

Over 200 junior faculty and students have completed CTSI training programs in clinical and
translational science. In the aggregate, they have received extramural grant awards totaling
almost $60 million and have published about 1900 papers in peer-reviewed journals, about
850 as first author.

The UR CTSI established an innovative new PhD program in Translational Biomedical Science,
one of the first of its kind in the nation. The goal of the program is to prepare individuals for
academic and clinical careers relating to the translation of basic biomedical research into
clinical strategies to improve health.

The CTSI provided the Clinical Research Center with a newly-renovated 10,500 sq ft facility
across the street from the Saunders Research Building, with enhanced research support
infrastructure and street-level access for volunteer subjects. A satellite of the Clinical
Research Center was built in the Saunders Research Building to provide additional convenient
space for minimal risk outpatient studies.

The UR CTSI led the formation of and supports the UNYTE Translational Research Network,
currently made up of 18 biomedical research institutions in Upstate New York, dedicated to
promoting research collaborations among member institutions and sharing research
resources. UNYTE developed a model for collaborative IRB review of multi-site protocols to
accelerate the approval time for research studies conducted within the network.

The UR CTSI established a Research Navigator Program to facilitate, accelerate and improve
collaboration in clinical and translational research within the URMC, across the UNYTE
network, and throughout the CTSA Consortium.

The UR CTSI initiated and supports the Greater Rochester Practice-Based Research Network,
which now consists of 85 pediatric, internal medicine and family medicine practices that serve
30% of the adult and 80% of the pediatric population in the region.
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