Idaho Universities and VA Medical Center Partner to Boost Health Research
Boise State University, Idaho State University, University of Idaho and teh Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center are collaborating to address the critical need for clinical and translational health research in Idaho.
A five-year, $10.7 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Boise State University and co-led with Idaho State University will establish the Healthy Idaho Clinical and Translational research Progress (CTR-D) program. The program will partner with health systems and community health centers throughout the state.
Idaho’s unique challenges – a lack of public medical schools, geographically dispersed institutions, and health disparities between rural and urban areas – necessitate a strong foundation for clinical and translational research, workforce development, and infrastructure improvements. The Healthy Idaho CTR-D aims to provide this foundation and address the health needs of Idahoans.
“This is really exciting because it’s a statewide effort to find out what are the biggest health concerns to people in Idaho,” said Cheryl Jorcyk, Boise State professor and project lead. “Together, we can establish Idaho’s first practise-based research network, as well as a safe, secure and HIPAA-compliant environment at Boise State to handle sensitive health data. We will be able to support professional development around clinical research, and to fund research by granting pilot awards for exciting clinical research projects around the state.”
The program will collaborate with clinical affiliates including St. Luke’s Health System,Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical center,Kootenai Health,and the Idaho Community Health Center Association. Support will also come from medical students at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Idaho WWAMI Medical Education Program.
“Most of Idaho’s universities conduct research in basic biomedical sciences in benchtop laboratories with limited clinical context,” said Karl Madaras-Kelly,Idaho State University co-lead.”Building collaborations across academic and health care systems is vital to translate basic discoveries from Idaho’s universities into the health care practices of tomorrow.”
Dr. Ken Kunisaki, director of clinical and translational research at the Boise VA Medical Center, added, “The Boise VA Medical Center is excited to be a key partner… We are a major training center for Idaho’s health care workforce, and we look forward to expanding access to leading-edge innovations to improve the health of our veterans and the people of Idaho.”
The Healthy Idaho CTR-D Program is designed to increase collaborative research, expand the clinical and translational research workforce through mentorship and training, and develop the infrastructure needed to support community-based research. This award builds upon Boise State’s existing biomedical research capabilities and promises to elevate the state’s capacity for impactful health research.
Idaho WWAMI & NIH Funding – Summary (as of late 2023/early 2024, anticipating 2025 impact)
This text details a meaningful new NIH grant awarded to Idaho to bolster its biomedical research capacity and improve healthcare, especially in rural areas. Hear’s a breakdown of the key data:
Key Highlights:
* Grant Award: Idaho has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational research Development (CTR-D) award, funded through the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program.Idaho is the 5th IDeA-eligible state to receive this type of funding.
* Collaboration: This is a statewide effort involving the University of Idaho (including its WWAMI and SHAMP programs), Boise State University, and Idaho State University. it builds on previous successful NIH-funded programs like COBRE and INBRE.
* Focus: The grant aims to advance clinical and translational research, enhance health professions training, strengthen Idaho’s healthcare workforce, and improve the wellbeing of Idaho communities, with a specific emphasis on rural health.
* Funding Source: National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of health (award Number P20GM155898).
Key Components & “Cores” of the Grant:
* Professional development Core: Training and mentoring to improve grant writing and research competitiveness.
* Community Engagement Core: Identifying health priorities with Idaho communities and establishing a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) for conducting clinical studies, including in rural areas.
* Research Design and Data Compliance Core: Support for study design, biostatistics, and access to patient data.
* Health Research Core: Evaluation and funding recommendations for research proposals.
Institutional Involvement:
* University of Idaho: Leading physician training through SHAMP and WWAMI, and building on existing biomedical programs like INBRE. christopher Nomura is a key figure.
* Boise State University: Led by Jorcyk, with a large team of faculty and staff contributing expertise.
* Idaho State university: Martin Blair highlights the grant’s potential to translate discoveries into health improvements.
Overall Impact (Anticipated in 2025 and beyond):
This grant represents a major investment in Idaho’s research infrastructure and has the potential to:
* Increase research funding opportunities for idaho researchers.
* Improve the quality and impact of health-related research in the state.
* Address critical health needs in Idaho, particularly in rural communities.
* Strengthen the pipeline of healthcare professionals.