On Tuesday, March 18th 2025, investigators, research teams, students, and staff gathered in Winston-Salem, NC for the inaugural CTSI Day. The event highlighted resources and services offered by the Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) to the research community.
The morning sessions focused on community engagement, health informatics, and continuous quality improvement within research. Midday there was a keynote entitled “What is the Science of Translation?” followed by a REDCap workshop and an afternoon poster session showcasing CTSI-funded research from K12, T32, Translational Research Academy, Research in Action, and Pilot Program Scholars (the winners are listed below). The full agenda can be found here.
Here are the top five key takeaways from this memorable event:
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Creating a Healthier Society by Engaging the Community
Dr. Nadine Barrett and her team enthusiastically spoke about their strategic objectives to strengthen research infrastructure, amplify community voices, build trust, and ensure sustained collaboration. Exciting community engagement activities are coming soon!
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Informatics Offers More Than Data Extraction
The CTSI has strengthened its health informatics infrastructure by enhancing the Translational Data Warehouse, incorporating new data elements (e.g., omics data, Census information), and supporting national research collaborations like PCORnet. These efforts enable better integration of patient-generated data into research workflows. Brian Ostasiewski, Director of Research Informatics, discussed the expansion of data capabilities and addressed translational roadblocks. Request informatics services here.
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Expanding Dissemination and Implementation Strategies
Dr. Justin B. Moore, leader of the Dissemination, Implementation, and Continuous Quality Improvement (DICQI) program spoke about providing researchers with implementation science consultations, the importance of disseminated research work, and evaluating the impact of using the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM). Discover how the DICQI program improves your research initiatives.
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REDCap Will Consolidate to a Single Instance
The REDCap team leader, Bas de Veer, announced that the enterprise will transition from five separate instances to one. As part of this integration, the new instance will offer cloud hosting, single sign-on (SSO), and additional convenient features aimed at enhancing collaboration within the enterprise. Be on the lookout for more details soon!
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CTSA Program to Improve Translational Research Efficiency and Quality
Dr. Gary Rosenthal provided an overview of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program funding by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) followed by Dr. Tom Houston’s informative presentation on supporting research beyond the CTSA grant, focusing on enhancing patient engagement and addressing translational science roadblocks. The Wake Forest CTSI is currently in the process of developing a curriculum based on this keynote. Please stay tuned for further updates!
The 2025 CTSI Day highlighted the department’s commitment to our Academic Learning Health System and innovation and collaboration in translational science. The excitement for next year’s CTSI Day is already building!
If you are interested in collaborating with the Wake Forest CTSI, please review and request our services here. If you are considering our pilot program and wish to apply for funding, please find the details here.
