In 2015, we were awarded a five-year, $20 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. This competitive grant renewal will fund the ongoing program of work of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin (CTSI), a consortium of eight regional organizations whose mission is to advance the health of the community through research and discovery.
The CTSI, which was founded in 2010, comprises the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Clement Zablocki VA Medical Center, Froedtert Hospital, Marquette University, MCW, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. The composition of the CTSI is unique nationally because of the engagement of academic institutions not affiliated with MCW. Using innovative mechanisms, CTSI members work to translate research discoveries more quickly into preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for patients. Consortium members share resources, technology, knowledge and expertise to work towards those goals. The CTSI research portfolio includes more than 185 studies, with more than 47 collaborative research studies underway.
Fewer than half of all US medical schools have received a CTSA award since the program’s inception in 2003, and there are currently 57 CTSA awards nationwide. This extremely competitive award reflects MCW’s role as a national leader in building academic and research partnerships to address the community’s greatest health needs. The collaborations and partnerships fostered through the CTSI already have paid off in innovation and translation of new technologies and advancements.
The CTSI is a highly respected and significant entity in our region and beyond, and has attracted exceptional researchers from across the country to the participating institutions. It is at the heart of what we do every day to promote collaboration, innovation and discovery as we seek to transform healthcare and the health of our citizens. It is a critical priority for MCW as we continue to differentiate ourselves through transformative research, discovery and preeminent scholarship. CTSI consortium members have excelled in sharing research resources, technology, knowledge and expertise to work toward common goals of excellence in healthcare. Our patients and communities throughout the region have benefited greatly from the many exceptional outcomes enabled by the vision of the CTSI, which is serving as a beacon for outstanding researchers across the country and giving hope to those afflicted by chronic and acute diseases.
The CTSI is a borderless, synergistic biomedical research enterprise that is accelerating the translation of research discoveries into new and improved medical treatments.
