Research Project
10271792
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Overall Nevada (NV) is one of the 24 Institutional Development Award (IDeA) states affected by restricted research capacity. The overarching goal of our Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience (CNTN) is to establish translational neuroscience research infrastructure in Southern NV to develop innovative diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions that can be applied across neurodegenerative disorders (NDD) and in diverse populations. The CNTN is highly significant for State representatives given the upcoming needs of age-related NDD healthcare due to the sustained increase in the population of NV, including retirees. Our thematically cohesive, multidisciplinary team comprises investigators from both the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas (LRCBH), and the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). During the first five years of COBRE support, the CNTN has transformed the environment for translational neuroscience research in Southern NV. The main accomplishments of CNTN Phase 1 are: 1- the creation of a Brain Imaging Department at LRCBH dedicated to research endeavors; 2- the building of a research cohort comprising NDD subjects who are deeply phenotyped; 3- the establishment of a Data Management and Statistics Core; 4- the inauguration of a Department of Brain Health, whose Founding Chair was a CNTN Junior Investigator (JI); 5- the forming of a Community Advisory Board to assist with community outreach activities aimed at inviting diverse individuals to volunteer in clinical research projects; and 6- the increase in the critical mass of investigators. A promising group of JIs have leveraged the resources compiled by the CNTN to carry out highly innovative research projects. All the JIs have graduated from the CNTN program with independent funding and promotion within local or external high caliber institutions. Our Assessment Unit has created new assessment methods based on a Science of Team Science approach to assess the performance of each individual CNTN Core and JI. They demonstrated that increasing the size of a scientific networking results in the inflation of scientific products. In Phase 2, the CNTN intends to develop the resources and processes necessary to reach sustainability. For this, we are revising the CNTN leadership to tackle growing responsibilities. The evaluation reports produced by our Assessment Unit will be utilized to elaborate our strategy, monitor progress, and make eventual adjustments. Specifically, we plan to foster infrastructure development, strengthen the career development of CNTN investigators, launch a pilot project program, and stimulate research productivity. We anticipate that our efforts will result in new collaborations with academic and industry partners, which will put the CNTN on the path for sustainability.
