UTHSC’s Tennessee Clinical and Translational Science Institute (TN-CTSI) held a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration last week for its new offices on the second floor at 66 North Pauline.

TN-CTSI was established in 2018 to address the health inequalities in the state of Tennessee. Its mission is to stimulate the discovery and translation of biomedical research into clinical practice to improve population health through a diverse set of services and resources. By providing critical education and training, funding opportunities, resources and interdisciplinary expertise, the institute helps clinical and translational researchers advance their discoveries and develop novel therapies aimed at improving health care for all.

Steven Goodman, PhD, vice chancellor for Research at UTHSC, presided over the ribbon cutting. “The TN-CTSI is an important catalyst for the efficient translation of scientific discoveries into interventions that improve human health. The Office of Research is proud to help foster the TN-CTSI and provide resources necessary for their success.” During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dr. Goodman said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Kennard Brown in particular for his support in the development of these beautiful facilities.” Dr. Brown is the executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer at UTHSC.

“We’re happy to introduce our new space to both the university and local community,” said Michelle Martin, PhD, co-leader of TN-CTSI and director of the Center for Innovation in Health Equity Research: A Community Cancer Alliance for Transformational Change at UTHSC and professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine. “It will enhance the TN-CTSI’s efficiency and responsiveness to both our research and community stakeholders, and further our work in addressing the pressing health needs of our region and state.”

Karen C. Johnson, MD, MPH, is TN-CTSI’s other leader and chair and Endowed Professor of Women’s Health in the UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine. She noted, “With this new space, we’ve established a sustainable foundation within the UTHSC campus. We not only have consolidated our offices into one central location, we now have a state-of-the-art training facility, room to grow our staff, and expand our services and reach. We are honored and excited for this milestone.”

The TN-CTSI can be reached by phone at 901-448-2874 or by email at tnctsi@uthsc.edu. Additional information on TN-CTSI programming can be found at https:/tnctsi.uthsc.edu/.