Thursday, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with new funding to support ongoing research, career development, and pre-doctoral training. The federal funding package totals nearly $50 million in federal funds over a five year period.
“NIH’s decision to continue supporting translational science efforts at UAB is a clear indication of the excellent work taking place at CCTS,” said Senator Shelby. “Advancing biomedical research to find treatments and cures for patients is of the utmost importance, and I am proud UAB is receiving additional funding to further this cause. I look forward to continuing to work with UAB, NIH, and my colleagues to improve medical services in Alabama and throughout the nation.”
“UAB’s CCTS is translating observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of our citizens and our society overall,” said UAB President Dr. Ray L. Watts. “We are proud of the contributions our CCTS and its Partner Network are making to bring more new treatments to more patients more quickly than ever before.”
Robert Kimberly, M.D. is the CCTS Director and senior associate dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the UAB School of Medicine
“As the sole Alabama-based hub in the NCATS-funded CTSA program, the CCTS has been a driving force for scientific innovation and excellence for the past decade,” Dr. Kimberly said. “Through its leadership, as evidenced by an astounding array of research supports and collaborations, the CCTS is transforming the biomedical research environment at UAB and beyond.”
The CCTS was established at UAB in 2008. The Center is funded through the Clinical and Translational Sciences Awards (CTSA) from NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
The Center is one of just over 50 CTSA programs in the country. The CCTS was created to better translate fundamental and clinical research into improvements for human health and health care delivery. The center at UAB seeks to cultivate opportunities for research locally, regionally, and nationally through partnerships with academic health centers, research institutes, and other universities.
UAB’s CCTS was just renewed for another five years of funding. Since its creation 11 years ago, the Birmingham Center has secured more than $123 million in federal funding and has granted 62 pilot awards.
Senator Richard Shelby is the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He is serving his sixth term in the United States Senate.
