Welcome to the Louisville Clinical & Translational Research Center
You're Looking at the Largest Investment in Clinical Research in UofL's History
The University of Louisville (UofL) was awarded $24 million, including $11.7 million from the NIH, to establish the Louisville Clinical and Translational Research Center (LCTRC). This marks the largest investment in clinical research in UofL's history.
The center will focus on addressing chronic conditions, like heart disease, stroke, and cancer that disproportionately affect Kentuckians, to accelerate the translation of research findings into patient care.
"UofL’s success in securing this award shows our strength as a research institution and academic medical center, and will drive significant, positive impact throughout the Commonwealth,” said Jon Klein, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation.
That impact will be far-reaching. LCTRC will enable UofL to launch a series of $75,000 to $125,000 research grants aimed at kickstarting new research projects that help early career and established researchers gather the data needed to secure more NIH or other agency investment.
To train highly competitive, next generation clinical and translational researchers, LCTRC will develop two key programs: Dean’s Scholars, which will pay medical students to spend a full year doing research, and Presidential Scholars, which buys six months of faculty members’ time to do research. These programs will also provide them with additional professional development opportunities, including partnering those researchers with experienced mentors who can help them take their work to the next level.
"The work that this funding will allow us to do is truly transformative,” said Jiapeng Huang, a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine and deputy director for the LCTRC. “LCTRC will develop top notch clinical and translational researchers who cannot only secure more NIH funding but also develop new therapies and technologies which will benefit our patients and communities in Kentucky. They will shape the future of Kentucky in a very meaningful way.
LCTRC will also work to expand clinical and translational research infrastructures and develop essential research tools. This includes enhanced research relationships with major health systems, including UofL Health in Louisville and Owensboro Health in western Kentucky. UofL has a long-standing academic partnership with the latter, including a ACGME accelerated family medicine residency program based at Owensboro Health, and an Accelerated Second-Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, where UofL resident physicians and students engage in hands-on clinical experiences in Owensboro.
The new LCTRC funding will double UofL’s clinical trials staff, enabling the university to support more clinical trials at UofL Health, its Owensboro Health rural affiliate, the Louisville Robley Rex VA Medical Center and Norton Healthcare. It also will support ‘citizen science’ projects, giving regular people an opportunity to engage in research backed by grant funding and with mentorship from academic experts.
