The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has a long-standing commitment to advancing clinical and translational research through sustained support from the National Institutes of Health. This effort was anchored by the NIH-funded General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) (M01-RR-000997), which supported patient-oriented research at UNM from 1997 through June 30, 2010, building on more than three decades of continuous funding. The GCRC served as the state’s premier venue for clinical research, providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, specialized cores in bionutrition, laboratory science, biomedical informatics, and biostatistics, and supporting a diverse portfolio of studies spanning diabetes, neurology, neonatology, and minority health, including research partnerships with communities such as Zuni Pueblo. The Center also played a critical role in workforce development, training dozens of medical students, fellows, and early-career investigators.

This strong foundation enabled a successful transition to the Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC), supported by a CTSA planning grant (P20RR023493) and the subsequent award of a full Clinical and Translational Science Award (UL1TR001449) in 2010. Today, the CTSC has evolved into a formal institute within UNM Health Sciences and serves as the home of the Southwest Center for Advancing Clinical and Translational Innovation (SW CACTI), funded through a multi-institutional CTSA award (UM1TR005466) from 2025 through 2032. Together, these investments reflect a sustained commitment to advancing collaborative, multi-state translational research, workforce development, and improved health outcomes across the Southwest.