Translational Research Support Core

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH SUPPORT CORE - ABSTRACT The Translational Research Support Core (TRSC) plays a key role in the research pursued in CEED by supporting the design and implementation of innovative “research that matters” for communities in NJ and beyond. TRSC offers expertise on planning and conducting research across the NIEHS translational research framework. Informed by basic laboratory research within CEED and concerns of community members, TRSC facilitates research through the design and execution of 1) population/observational epidemiology, 2) clinical trials and intervention studies, and 3) implementation of meaningful results. This is accomplished through bidirectional partnerships between TRSC leadership and CEED researchers and trainees, as well as close communication with the Community Engagement Core (CEC). After consultation with researchers to identify clear study objectives, TRSC offers an array of services including design of human/population studies; screening, recruitment, and retention of subjects for panel studies, trials, and cohorts; management of protocols and data to ensure regulatory compliance; collection of biospecimens; and data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of study findings. TRSC also provides field support for study management, survey research, and environmental and biospecimen collection, as well as sample storage within a state-of-the art sample management system. TRSC leverages the infrastructure available at the NJ Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS), the first and only Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) in NJ. Through this partnership, TRSC has been able to expand the reach of its services by greater access to populations and cohorts, as well as informatics tools that enable broader recruitment of study participants. During the next grant cycle, CEED’s efforts will be focused on addressing environmental health-related disease by placing affected communities at the center of our research. Close relationships with local communities will enhance TRSC’s capacity to accelerate translation of research findings to people who live/work in settings that put them at increased risk of exposure to hazards using evidence-based implementation science approaches. TRSC will ensure rigorous and comprehensive support for research involving human participants and community partners. In collaboration with the Administrative Core and Career Development Program, TRSC will connect early career scientists and trainees with opportunities to attain skills in translational science including workshops, asynchronous online learning, and through individual mentorship by TRSC leadership. These activities support the ability of CEED to reduce health risks within NJ and improve public health across the state and region.