CTSC Insights

April 2022

Letter from the Director

Dear Colleagues,

Spring is here and so is daylight savings. As we head into the beginning of the fourth quarter it’s time to start planning your research projects for FY2023. New funding opportunities can now be found on the CTSC Funding page.

I am pleased to tell you about some of the high impact studies that the CTSC is supporting.

With support from our clinical trials unit (PCI) Dr. Emily Altman, is conducting the BeHEARD (HS0004/0005) trial to examine the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in study participants with moderate to severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). HS0004 is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, pivotal study evaluating the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in study participants with moderate to severe HS. Depending on the success and efficacy of bimekizumab participants may continue into the open-label study HS0005.

Our Community Engagement Research (CERC) team are assisting Dr. David Stromberg, and his research team, who are conducting a research project titled: Satisfaction with Feedback: Resident Perceptions (SaFeR Perceptions). The purpose of this study is to examine resident perceptions related to feedback in the clinical learning environment. The findings from this project will provide information on residents’ perceptions about feedback, what influences residents’ response to the ACGME survey question about satisfaction with feedback and how the UNM School of Medicine and individual programs could improve their feedback efforts.

Thais Schwartz, of the CTSC BERD Core assisted Dr. Kate Meriwether in completing the analyses for her pilot study entitled: Evaluation of Centering-based group treatment visits (CBGT) in the treatment of women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (ICBPS): A parallel, prospective cohort study. This research will determine the effect of ICBPS Centering groups on pain relief and other outcomes amongst ICBPS patients, using an evidence-based approach to support this possible therapy shift in the field of ICBPS.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) Health Hackathon was back in person at the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education North Wing at The University of New Mexico the weekend of March 25-27. The CTSC Health Hackathon strives to stimulate innovation in healthcare, encourage multi-disciplinary collaboration, and foster creativity in a fun and competitive atmosphere. The event is led and organized by the CTSC as part of their NIH-funded grant. Gold sponsors were the HSC Office of Research, the UNM Office of the Vice President for Research and the School of Engineering. Silver sponsors were ASCEND HUB, UNM Rainforest Innovations, the Anderson School of Management, the College of Pharmacy and the College of Nursing.

Every part of the CTSC is integral to our purpose and funding, and we aim to update each section of the CTSC newsletter monthly. Each PI has a personal, professional investment in the information we provide. Please submit that information to our team. The CTSC is here for your support.

The dedicated faculty, staff, and students at CTSC continue their research projects and look for innovative ways to support our communities. If you are interested in a rigorous quantitative rural research project focused on COVID-19, please contact me (RLarson@salud.unm.edu) to start a dialogue.

Masks are still required indoors for all clinical staff and all clinical areas at the HSC, but are now optional for non-clinical staff in non-clinical areas. Stay abreast of the current policies by exploring the University’s Bring Back the Pack COVID-19 guidance.

The Health Sciences Center Office of Research website contains information on specific research-related updates (including the Research Continuity Guidelines for both Laboratories & Research Facilities and Clinical Trial Research Faculty & Staff) and can be accessed through the following link: https://hsc.unm.edu/research/.

All standard CTSC services are available. We encourage PIs to reach out to our Research Concierge (HSC-CTSCResearchConcierge@salud.unm.edu) with questions and/or to setup a consultation with the CTSC team.

If you have any questions about our assets and services, please contact the CTSC Research Concierge at HSC-CTSCResearchConcierge@salud.unm.edu. If you have any issues finding the information that you need, please reach out to the CTSC Newsletter Team and they will get back to you.

As always, thank you so much for your continued support of the Clinical & Translational Science Center!

Warm regards,

Richard S. Larson, MD, PhD

PI, CEO and Director

Clinical & Translational Science Center