UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute earns $43 million NIH award to speed innovation

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida and Florida State University will receive $43 million from the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world health solutions that benefit individuals and communities across Florida and beyond.

“This award is about more than advancing research — it’s about improving lives,” said Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M.Ed., the Folke H. Peterson Dean’s Distinguished Professor and interim dean of the UF College of Medicine. “By strengthening the UF-FSU CTSA hub, we are ensuring discoveries in the lab become solutions in the clinic and the community, where they can make the greatest difference. The NIH’s continued investment empowers our teams to work together in new and innovative ways, train the next generation of scientists and bring hope and healing faster to the people who need it most.”

The award consists of a seven-year grant and two training grants. Together, the funds will sustain and expand the universities’ role as a clinical and translational science hub for the state. The idea is to strengthen their ability to conduct transformative clinical and translational research quickly, enhance workforce development in translational science and improve health outcomes.

“Continued investment like this positions the UF-FSU hub as a national leader in advancing translational science, while demonstrating our priority of fostering collaboration across disciplines to address the most pressing health challenges,” said Stephen J. Motew, M.D., M.H.A., UF Health president and system CEO.

The award provides infrastructure and resources for the UF-FSU CTSA hub to support research that bridges laboratory discoveries with clinical practice and community impact.

The UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute is led by Director Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., the Phyllis Kottler Friedman Professor in neurosurgery and lead principal investigator for the UF-FSU CTSA hub award. Mitchell is co-director of the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and associate dean for clinical and translational sciences at the UF College of Medicine. Betsy Shenkman, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the UF Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, and Sylvie Naar, Ph.D., a distinguished endowed professor and director of the FSU Center for Translational Behavioral Science, are principal investigators.

The NIH training grants include:

• The K12 Career Development Program: Led by Faheem Guirgis, M.D., an endowed professor of emergency medicine at UF, and co-directed by Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., a professor and chief of the division of biology of aging at UF, and by Henna Budhwani, Ph.D., M.P.H., an endowed professor in the FSU College of Nursing. The K12 program offers mentored support and training for clinical and translational scientists.
• The T32 Training Grant: Directed by Wayne McCormack, Ph.D., a distinguished teaching scholar and professor in the UF Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine. The program provides predoctoral trainees with the skills and experience necessary to become translational research leaders.

Established in 2008, the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute is part of the national CTSA Program, a network of 61 medical research institutions (called CTSA hubs) across the United States. FSU became a CTSA hub partner with UF in 2019.

“Together with our partners at FSU and across the national CTSA network, we are committed to ensuring that research is not only innovative but also deeply connected to the communities it serves,” said Mitchell, who is also the associate director for translation and innovation at the UF Health Cancer Center.

The renewed funding will support CTSI’s efforts over the next seven years to accelerate the pace at which research moves from the lab to the clinic. Through new technologies, artificial intelligence and forward-thinking mentorship models, CTSI will equip faculty, staff and trainees to thrive in a rapidly evolving biomedical landscape, Mitchell said.

Investigators across all 16 UF colleges rely on CTSI’s resources and services to advance their research. The institute’s infrastructure and support systems are designed to guide researchers throughout their careers, helping them succeed and lead in their fields.

“A major part of our institution’s biomedical research mission is to effectively translate discoveries into better health outcomes for those not only in the state of Florida, but also across the country,” said David Norton, Ph.D., a professor and vice president of research at the University of Florida. “This funding from the National Institutes of Health greatly accelerates these efforts.”

Mitchell said CTSI’s deep ties to the communities it serves make the work meaningful.

“This award allows us to continue building trust and delivering research that reflects the health needs and priorities of Floridians,” he said. “It’s about meeting people where they are and ensuring that science works for everyone.”