History
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public university developed from an academic extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System.
The UAB Health System, one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, is affiliated with the university. In 2014, U.S. News and World Report named UAB as the #1 hospital in Alabama. In 1994, UAB became the first Alabama university to achieve "Research University I" status in the Carnegie Foundation classification.
UAB is composed of one college, nine schools, the Graduate School, and the Division of General Studies. Together, these divisions offer 51 bachelor's degree programs, 46 master's degree programs, and 36 doctoral programs. UAB is the largest research institution in the state of Alabama.
CCTS Partnership
UAB serves as the Hub for the CCTS. The vision of the Center is to ameliorate disparities in diseases and other conditions that disproportionately affect minority and special populations represented within our region and across the nation. To achieve our goals, the CCTS Hub has developed a Partner Network of academic centers and research institutes in the Deep South to better serve our special populations while maximizing collaborative synergies in translational research. To speed the translation of research into improved human health, the UAB CCTS and its Partner Network are committed to increasing research capacity, accelerating research processes, developing and supporting excellence in the research workforce and providing creative, innovative approaches to major health and health care delivery challenges. The CCTS offers access to a number of resources and capacities through its co-leadership of the Clinical Trials Office as well as Research Commons, Training Academy and Engagement of Communities Initiatives.
CCTS Partner Network
In synergy with the resource strengths available at UAB, the CCTS has established Institutional Partnerships to improve and accelerate translational research. The CCTS Partner Network crosses institutional boundaries to improve human health and health care delivery. This innovative partnership is well integrated into the fabric of the CCTS and provides the foundation for addressing health disparities through collaborative research and training efforts. Building on some initial relationships from the Deep South Network for Translational Research, we have significantly expanded to create new and more formal partnerships with regional institutions for mutual benefit. Regional partners are working together to facilitate and promote unique opportunities, including (but not limited to) drug discovery and development, genomics, advanced magnetic resonance imaging, population health and outcomes research. Partners include UAB (Hub), Southern Research, Auburn, South Alabama, HudsonAlpha, LSU, Mississippi Medical Ctr., Pennington, Tulane, Tuscaloosa, Tuskegee).
Clinical Trials Administration Office (CCTS in partnership with UAB Research Administration)
The mission of the UAB Clinical Trials Administration Office (CTAO) is to enhance, foster, and promote high-quality clinical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. UAB’s initiative is to provide, support and direct the implementation of cutting-edge human subject research. By promoting clinical research, the CTAO will help the UAB community meet its mission goals of excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. The Institution is committed to providing world-class patient care with innovative therapies to treat disease, promote health and wellness, and provide opportunity for patient participation in clinical research. As an academic medical center, it is our responsibility to participate in research that leads to new discoveries and advances the art and science of medicine for future generations. The CTAO/CCTS mission addresses four programmatic tasks: 1) performance standards to meet and exceed national standards; 2) educated and knowledgeable workforce; 3) implementation of scientifically reproducible research; and 4) services to support rigorous design and interpretation.
CCTS Training Academy
The CCTS is committed to lifelong training. The Center builds on a robust set of training and mentorship initiatives to develop its clinical and translational science workforce – diverse in discipline and background – at all stages of career development. The Center supports collaborative teams through a variety of formal didactic programs and experiential learning opportunities. It has also expanded the use of peer-driven panels to strengthen scientific approach. On this foundation of understanding, the CCTS catalyzes discovery and implementation science by coordinating efficient research processes and integrating innovative approaches.
CCTS Research Commons
Through the Research Commons, investigators can access research-related services and resources available at UAB and our Partner Network institutions. The Commons provides individualized assistance to all investigators, from trainees to full professors. CCTS personnel direct investigators to appropriate services and resources and help identify related opportunities. Through peer-driven Panels, the CCTS offers a multifaceted approach to guide investigators in early phase project design, grant proposal development, evaluation and revision of unfunded grant proposals, implementation of research protocols, and interpretation and or dissemination of experimental results. The CCTS Research Commons is also the primary portal through which investigators can connect with important expertise including Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD), informatics, clinical research services and other scientific capacities.
CCTS Community Engagement
In synergy to this expertise, the CCTS Partner Network joins members of our communities to develop the scientific agenda and to increase the opportunities to participate in biomedical research. The CCTS’ community engagement initiative aims to support health innovation and to develop strategies to navigate community/academic partnerships across the southeast and nationally.