CCaTS: Accelerating discoveries toward better health
Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) is a central hub for institutional advancement of research and education at Mayo Clinic. The center provides tools and expert consultation to support every aspect of medical research, including basic discovery science, clinical and community-engaged research, and late-stage application and commercialization.
CCaTS is led by Sundeep Khosla, M.D., principal investigator and director of CCaTS and dean for clinical and translational science at Mayo Clinic. David O. Warner, M.D., is co-principal investigator and associate director of CCaTS, and is also principal investigator of the KL2 mentored career development grant. Anthony J. Windebank, M.D., is principal investigator of the TL1 predoctoral training grant.
News
The lowdown with Dr. Bharucha: Gastroenterology researcher and clinical trials guru
For Adil E. Bharucha, M.B.B.S., M.D., research is a passion nurtured over time. A passion, he says, that came to him not in a dazzling "aha moment," but slowly, through the encouragement of mentors, the exhilarating feeling of discovery and the compassion he felt for his patients.
Read more on Mayo Clinic's Advancing the Science blog.
Science Saturday: How Mayo Clinic recruits and trains researchers from within
Some of the most critical advances in medicine happen when clinicians observe something they've never seen before in a patient and set out to find the answers. But the question often arises: How does a clinician acquire the specialized skills and knowledge to make the jump into research?
Mayo Clinic helps make the transition to research easier by providing access to a range of research training and education programs. These programs, offered through CCaTS, are designed to bridge gaps in training and teach learners the skills necessary to succeed as members or leaders of research teams.
Read more on the Mayo Clinic News Network.
When the shoelaces fray: Short telomere syndromes
Deep inside cells, at the tips of threadlike chromosomes, structures known as telomeres protect chromosomes from deterioration — a bit like the way caps at the ends of shoelaces prevent fraying. Telomeres naturally shorten as people age, but sometimes, an inherited gene mutation causes telomeres to shorten at a faster rate. Abnormal telomere shortening results in accelerated-aging syndromes that affect many parts of the body and can occur in children or adults.
"Short telomere syndromes have been recognized for several decades. But diagnosis has been very difficult because it requires highly specialized testing. With the advent of precision genomics, we have the opportunity to identify and manage these disorders for the benefit of patients," says Mrinal S. Patnaik, M.B.B.S., a hematologist and KL2 scholar who directs the premyeloid disorder clinic.
Read more on Mayo Clinic's Individualized Medicine blog.
'Bridge-building specialists' keep science moving forward
"Physicians and researchers often have new ideas for medical devices, drugs, biologics or other products that they want to deliver to patients, but they don't know how to bring those discoveries to life," says senior technology development manager and patent agent Jeff R. Anderson, Ph.D. Taking the next steps in product development may require access to additional resources or know-how.
CCaTS' Office of Translation to Practice connects researchers to the help they didn't know they needed to take the first steps in product development.
Read more on Mayo Clinic's Advancing the Science blog.
Business innovation with an eye on improving vision
With a passion for restoring vision, Timothy W. Olsen, M.D., has set his sights on developing and bringing to market a first-of-its-kind device for treating age-related macular degeneration. Synergies enabled by the Destination Medical Center and Mayo's research and practice community prompted Dr. Olsen to move his business and practice from Atlanta, Georgia, to Rochester, Minnesota.
Read more on Mayo Clinic's Advancing the Science blog.