MS Center for Clinical and Translational Research - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT, OVERALL Mississippi (MS) currently stands as the least healthy state in the U.S., plagued by alarmingly high rates of infant and maternal mortality and chronic disease. While pockets of improvement offer hope, the state still faces monumental structural and access issues. Thus, the major focus of the during Phase III of the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (MCCTR) is to leverage an integrated clinical and translational (C/T) research program across UMMC and its partner institutions (MS State University, University of Southern MS, Ole Miss, and Tougaloo College) to address major chronic diseases (e.g., obesity diabetes, CKD, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, maternal/fetal disorders, and dementia) impacting Mississippians. The MCCTR impact on C&T research will also be greatly enhanced by the involvement of our collaborative partners: the Louisiana C&T Science Center, the Mayo Clinic Center for C&T Science and the University of Alabama-Birmingham Center for C&T Science and the IDeA State Consortium for Clinical Research (ISCORE), our newly formed PBRN called the “Mississippi Primary Care Innovation Network”, and four NIGMS-supported COBREs at UMMC that are aligned with the major goals of the MCCTR. The aims below will be accomplished using our effective administrative core structure and guided by advisory committees and performed by our cores: Aim 1: Leverage a governance plan for the MCCTR to oversee an integrated C&T research program across UMMC and its partner institutions to address major chronic diseases impacting Mississippians. Also, enhance our Marketing team and Tracking and Evaluation specialists to help maximize its MCCTR effectiveness and efficiency to reach C&T faculty at Mississippi institutions and CTSA/CTR partners. Aim 2: Utilize HR core to manage all research projects (1yr-pilot project, 2-yr developmental projects, and Multi-institutional Collaborative Project) with the goal of developing a C&T workforce, strengthening investigator-initiated C&T research, and increasing the volume/impact of clinical trials and studies within MCCTR’s network. Aim 3: Expand our Community Engagement and Outreach (CEO) Core to enhance active engagement with our Community Advisory Board, MS State Extension Service, PBRN called the “Mississippi Primary Care Innovation Network”, and Mississippi’s urban and rural communities. Aim 4: Enhance our Professional Development Core (PDC) that provides mentorship and support in chronic disease research, including rural and CEO research, to junior faculty members of MCCTR partner institutions, promoting their development into independent investigators. Aim 5: Utilize our Research Design, Compliance, and Data Management (RDCD) Core to provide accessible, rigorous research design, analytic, and data support services, and compliance support for MCCTR faculty. Aim 6: Leverage our Research Services Core to train, mentor and support investigators in C&T research and to enhance the development and implementation of C&T research projects utilizing modern tools such as telemedicine and our unique cohort studies at UMMC.
