Attention: Clinicians, Nurses, Therapists, Pharmacists, Residents and Health Care Professionals!
Do you have a research idea that could enhance healthcare but need resources and mentorship to transform it into a structured project? The CTSI is looking for clinically relevant project ideas for consideration in a virtual “shark tank” competition, competing for a $5,000 investment and other research resources for the project. Selected applicants will be asked to give timed pitches limited to 5 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of active conversation with the “sharks” (researchers and administrators from the CTSI). Sharks will grade each project on its feasibility, potential impact, and enthusiasm.
Project Criteria:
- Address an existing issue or problem currently affecting our patient population.
- Propose a new practice, treatment, tool, approach, etc. that has the potential to improve patient care.
- Consider ways to disseminate changes or new best practice to the affected patient population.
- Applications should be submitted through the Research Shark Tank Submission system.
Questions should be directed to Katelyn Still.
Deadlines:
- Applications Due: Friday, May 9, 2025 at 11:59PM ET
- Selection of Presenters: May 19, 2025
- Virtual Research “Shark Tank”: Friday, May 30th, 2025 at 2-3:30PM ET
Constipation Blues: A Novel Non-Invasive Gut Transit Test
Jessica Sang, Gastroenterology Fellowship Program
This project aimed to develop a non-invasive test to measure gastrointestinal (GI) tract transit time that can be conducted at home. The project targeted pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders and will be an initial step in the later development of therapies for patients with gut transit time abnormalities.
High Fidelity Simulation and Cultural Competency in Residency Programs
Marie Wofford, Emergency Medicine Resident
This two-phase project attempted to improve cultural competency of emergency medicine residents participating in high fidelity clinical simulations. The first phase evaluated the proportion of emergency medicine residency programs in the United States that use high fidelity simulations to teach cultural competency.
The second phase evaluated if the skin color and gender of the mannequins used for clinical simulation training by residency programs reflected the skin color and gender breakdown for the US population. The goal was to use the data to mitigate the potential development of implicit biases by resident physicians.