ELIGIBILITY: Applications will be accepted from M.D. or Ph.D. junior faculty in the UCLA CTSI community (UCLA-Westwood, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles Drew University, and Harbor-UCLA/LA Biomedical Research Center) within their first 3 years of appointment.

CRITERIA for selection: 1) Quality of the scientific proposal, 2) The candidate’s potential for an independent translational research career, 3) Potential translational impact of the research and 4) Relevance to the overall translational research mission of UCLA CTSI.

Please contact Emily Sondergaard at the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute by email: esondergaard@mednet.ucla.edu or phone: (310) 983-1168 with any questions related to this request for applications.

Description:
The Endocrine and Metabolic Laboratory supports clinical investigators in many aspects of research through expertise in sample processing, analytical testing and development of new methods. The Endocrine and Metabolic Laboratory is fully licensed by the State of California and holds CLIA certification. The laboratory staff has over 30 years experience in such diverse fields as hormonal analysis, amino acid analysis, clinical chemistry and has close contact with a number of other CTSA Core Laboratories.

Core Laboratory Resources
• Liquid Chromatographic Mass Spectrometry instruments
• Gamma and beta counters
• Spectrophotometer
• Fluorometer
• Plate reader

Services Available to Investigators
• Sample acquisition, processing, banking and shipping:
Samples obtained for clinical research project can be processed, stored, shipped to outside laboratories, sent to investigator labs or directly to the Endocrine and Metabolic Laboratory for analysis. DNA extraction and purification from blood samples is also available.

• Sample Analysis:
Over thirty different procedures are offered through the Endocrine and Metabolic Laboratory utilizing a variety of techniques including radioimmunoassay, fluoroimmunoassay, fluorometry and LCMSMS. A full listing of all methods can be obtained through Endocrine and Metabolic Laboratory, or via the CTSI web site.

• Consultation Services:
The Lab Director and Manager are available to help investigators design and initiate protocols using the most relevant procedures available and ensure that all laboratory data are reported with confidentiality and accuracy. The laboratory is networked with other CTSALaboratories providing investigators with a wide range of testing capabilities.

Staffing
• The lab staff is highly qualified and includes the lab manager with a BSMT degree, a licensed medical technologist and two research associates.

Biomedical Mass Spectroscopy Facility
Director: Paul Lee, M.D.
Location: Walter Martin Research Building at Harbor-UCLA and LA BioMed
Email: lee@labiomed.org
Phone: 310-222-6729

Description:
The Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Facility (BMSF) supports clinical research projects both from within our institution and from outside institutions in clinical nutrition and metabolic research. The BMSF specializes in experimental design using stable isotopes and analytical methods for physiological or metabolic investigations. It provides unique services in isotopomer distribution analysis of metabolites (tracer-based metabolomics) using GC/MS or LC-TOF. The Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Facility is immediately adjacent to the Endocrine and Metabolic Laboratory.
Biomedical Mass Spectrometer Facility Unit Resources
• Three gas-liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) systems (an HP Model 5971A Mass Selective Detector (MSD) System, and an HP Model 5973A Mass Selective Detector (MSD) System)
• A Finnegan Delta-S isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) which is providing breath CO2 analyses, and hydrogen and oxygen analyses for the doubly labeled water method of determining energy expenditure
• A ThermoQuest LCQdeca, a high pressure liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer (LC/MS), which has the capability of a tandem mass spectrometer. The LCQ is useful for small peptide quantitation sequence analysis and provide analytical support for investigators who are interested in clinical proteomics.
• A state-of-the-art LC/MS/MS from Applied Biosystems (API5000). The new LC/MS/MS is equipped with a photoionization feature, which has extremely high detection sensitivity for steroid hormones (down to the picogram range).
• A matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Voyager-DE STR, MALDI-TOF) for determination of protein turnover and peptide identification using post-source decay.

Services Available to Investigators Conducting Research
• Sample purification and preparation
• Derivatization of substrate
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis by GC/MS, IRMS and LC/MS
• Consultation on technical problems related to instrumentation and sample preparation
• Training
• Mass spectrometry services are provided to other GCRCs in California and Oregon
Staffing
• The Biomedical Mass Spectrometry operation personnel includes: Paul Lee, M.D. (Director) and two experienced mass spectroscopists.

Molecular Cytology Core
Director: Yan-He Lue, MD
Location: Walter Martin Research Building
Email: lue@labiomed.org or pxia@labiomed.org
Phone: 310-222-1889
Description:
The Molecular Cytology Core supports investigators performing morphological, biochemical, cell and molecular biological studies both at cellular and subcellular levels),. This core will provide consultation and training services for localization of genes, RNA transcripts and proteins inc complex tissues as well subcellular distribution in tissues. Equipment available to the Core include:
• Leica TP1020 tissue processor, Leica EG1150 embedding paraffin and chiller unit; Microm HM 340 E rotary Microtome; Leica GM3050 Cryostat; Leica MZ16 Dissecting Microscope.
• Zeiss microscope equipped with Axiocam color digital camera, Axiovision, Image Pro-Plus software and an advanced computer workstation with graphic accelerators and high storage capacity for image processing.
• Leica Inverted light and fluorescent Microscope. This inverted microscope equipped with DAPI, FITC and Texas red filters is suitable for observing cultured cells, and live cells transected with fluorescent vectors carrying gene of interest.
• Leica TCS SP Upright Confocal Microscope which has three lasers, an argon, a krypton, and a helium-neon which are connected to the microscope by a fiber optic and produce laser lines at 476 (near blue), 488 (green), 568 (yellow) and 633(far red) nm. The system is equipped with three reflectance/fluorescence photomultiplier/ detectors and one for transmitted light (bright field, phase, and dark field).
• PALM (Positioning and Ablation with Laser Microbeams) microdissection system, which uses Laser Pressure Catapulting technology to dissect selected specimens from various sources. This system, which enable fast, easy and reliable non-contact laser micromanipulation and microdissection, consists of a 337 nm pulsed nitrogen laser, a wave length which does not interfere biological function, RoboStage, CCD color video camera, fluorescence module for visualization of GFP and 488 nm fluorescent markers, manipulator, and a Zeiss Axiovert 200 microscope. The PALM-based molecular analyses of selected tissue and cell samples provide a better insight into the molecular components of certain disease processes or cellular pathways.
• ABI real-time PCR systems. Coupled with acquisition of the laser capture instrumentation, the availability of real-time PCR should allow the quantification of low abundance mRNAs in samples derived from either single cells or from small cell clusters.

The availability of the core equipment and the expertise on histomorphology and molecular and cell biology provided by Dr. Lue will allow the molecular analyses of complex tissues and expand the GCRC core facilities to recruit larger numbers of potential NIH-funded clinical as well as serve basic investigators.

Flow Cytometry Facility
Director: Michael Yeaman
Location: St. John’s Cardiovascular Research Building; Level 2
Email: MRYeaman@ucla.edu
Phone: 310-222-6248

Description:
The Division of Adult Infectious Diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center/Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute houses a dual-laser (argon and helium-neon), 4-color FACS Calibur flow cytometer and cell sorter. This instrument was awarded to the Division through an NIH instrument grant. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a powerful tool by which individual cells or populations of cells can be examined and compared using specific fluorescent probes. The addition of the cell sorter furthers allow isolation and capture of individual cells or cell-cell complexes that exhibit desirable or unique characteristics as determined by fluorescence properties. Therefore, the simultaneous and complementary flow cytometry and cell sorting capabilities of the instrument facilitate the molecular and physiological examination of individual cells, and enables collection of living cells for further study. In the field of infectious diseases research, this instrument has greatly advanced the ability to determine the effects of new anti-infective agents upon drug-resistant microorganisms, the interaction of immune system cells with these pathogens, and rapid screening and acquisition of cell clones expressing strategic markers or functions, to name of few of the advances. Yet, FACS analysis is also applicable to a broad spectrum of biomedical research interests in which the study of individual cells or their interactions is desirable or required. For example, the instrument has significantly advanced research in the areas of T cell biology, vaccine immunology, cell cycle and DNA repair, cell trafficking, apoptotic pathways, and many other applications. While the instrument is not a core facility, it is made available for use by investigators on the Harbor-UCLA/LA BioMed campus. Dr. Michael Yeaman (PI) and Dr. Scott Filler (Co-I) are the facility directors, and they or their technicians are available by appointment to advise and oversee user training and use of this instrument for specific needs of Harbor-UCLA investigators. Users supply their own specific reagents, with instrument and technician time deducted.
Center for Immunotherapeutics Research Core
Co-Directors: Noah Craft MD, PhD, DTMH and Kevin Bruhn, PhD
Location: Hanley-Hardison Research Center
Email: ncraft@labiomed.org or kbruhn@labiomed.org
Phone: 310-781-1447
Description:
The Center for Immunotherapeutics Research Core is based at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. It offers the following core equipment:
1) BD LSR II, dual-laser (Blue-488nm and Red He-Ne-633 nm) flow cytometer. Flow cytometry is a powerful tool allowing individual, fluorescently-labeled cells to be detected and analyzed in a high-throughput manner. The LSRII machine is capable of digital (rather than analog) data acquisition, allowing additional parameters to be detected, and more information to be collected on a per-cell basis. Multicolor experiments (up to 8 colors, upgradable to 18 colors) involving complex compensation calculations are now straightforward, using the FACSDiva software package. This cytometer has been used for an array of different studies by multiple departments across LA BioMed, including immunophenotyping, cell-cycle determination, apoptosis analyses, membrane depolarization studies, protein expression, and pathogen detection.
2) Luminex multiplex analyzer, utilizing xMAP microsphere technology. This instrument is capable of performing up to 100 assays simultaneously in a single well of a microtiter plate. Based upon the principles of flow cytometry, the Luminex system is a compact, easy-to-use system that gives sensitive, reproducible results with high-throughput speed. The technology can be readily applied to protein expression, including a diverse array of cytokine, growth factor, transcription factor, and biomarker assays.
3) Applied Biosystems 7900HT real-time quantitative PCR system. This machine combines both 96-well and 384-well plate compatibility, along with Fast real-time capability, to provide high-throughput RT-PCR functionality that is extremely valuable for gene expression studies, and flexible enough to use for SNP genotyping (allelic discrimination) analyses, as well. The 7900HT detects both SYBR- and Taqman-based fluorescent probes, allows multiplexing, and is capable of running a 384-well plate in under one hour.
4) Biotek Synergy 2 multi-mode microplate reader. This versatile instrument is a combination luminometer-fluorometer-absorbance detector capable of reading 96-well and larger plates. It utilizes both filter-based and monochromator-based light-detection technology, resulting in high performance, speed, and sensitivity. Among the numerous assays employed by users of this machine include Fluorescense Intensity, Time Resolved Fluorescence, Fluorescence Polarization, Glow and Flash Luminescence, UV-Vis Absorbance, FRET, and spectral scanning.
This equipment is made available for use by investigators on the Harbor-UCLA/LA BioMed campus. Noah Craft MD, PhD and Dr. Kevin Bruhn, PhD are the co-directors for the Center for Immunotherapeutics Research. They are available to train new users of these instruments for specific experimental needs.

This ten-week course provides a thorough background in the ethical issues in research with

]]> http://research.labiomed.org/wpctsi/?feed=rss2&p=440 http://research.labiomed.org/wpctsi/?p=402 http://research.labiomed.org/wpctsi/?p=402#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:25:14 +0000 lchen http://ctsi.labiomed.org/wpctsi/?p=402 Sponsored by the General Clinical Research Center
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Presented by
Arleen Brown, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine and Health
Services Research, Department of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at
UCLA
Robert Vargas, M.D., M.P.H.
Natural Scientist, RAND Corporation and Assistant Professor, Division of
General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA
Felica Jones
Director of Programs, Healthy African American Families II
Details
Date: Friday, September 17, 2010
Time: 2:00 – 3:30pm
Location: The Steve C.K. Liu, M.D. & Milly Liang Liu, M.D. Research
Center (Bldg. RB-3), First Floor Conference Rooms 138, 140 & 142
Contact the GCRC Office to Register
gcrcinfo@labiomed.org

Program Information
The purpose of the Clinical Research Feasibility Funds (CReFF) program is to provide seed funding of one-year, renewable awards to junior faculty for pilot clinical research studies, designed to obtain preliminary data which might lead to future proposals to outside agencies for additional funding. Funds may also be used by more senior investigators changing their field of study or career pathway. Use of the General Clinical Research Center is a mandatory requirement of the program.

Level of support
Up to $20,000 may be requested for one-year renewable projects.

Eligibility
Applicants must be an LA BioMed member; have an M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.V.M. or equivalent doctorate degree; hold a Harbor-UCLA faculty appointment equal to or less than assistant professor, or be a senior faculty changing a research career path.

Application Deadline
Applications for the CReFF program are accepted on September 1 of each year. The upcoming deadline for applying to the program is September 1, 2010.

Applications are available from the our Website at http://ctsi.labiomed.org/wpctsi/?page_id=109 and must be submitted to gcrcinfo@labiomed.org

Interested parties are encouraged to contact Dr. Christina Wang, Program Director of the GCRC, in advance to discuss their proposal.

Project period is December 1, 2010 – November 30, 2011.

Level of Support
Up to $20,000 in salary support plus $5,000 in research expenses may be requested for one-year renewable projects.

Eligibility
Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited Medical School, preferably between years three and four of medical school. However, students will be accepted at the following times as well: after the fourth year of medical school prior to the commencement of internship, between years one and two of medical school, and between years two and three of medical school.

Application Deadline
Applications for the Mentored Student Clinical Research program are accepted in March and September of each year. The upcoming deadline for applying to the program is September 1, 2010. Applications are available in the our website at http://ctsi.labiomed.org/wpctsi/?page_id=109 Projects will begin December 1, 2010 to November 30, 2011.

Interested parties are encouraged to contact Dr. Christina Wang, Program Director of the GCRC, in advance to discuss their proposal.

For details please visit: http://149.142.238.229/k30/admissions.asp

For curriculum details visit: www.k30.ucla.edu

For further details or questions, please contact Christina Wang, MD, Program Coordinator, GCRC. Phone:310-222-2503, email: wang@labiomed.org.

K30 Track II Graduate Training Program in

Clinical and Translational Investigation

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Apply On-line February 1-May 20, 2010

Details online at the UCLA K30 webpage - www.k30.ucla.edu

Applicants should hold professional degrees in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, or other clinical disciplines. PhD scientists who are highly committed to clinical investigation will also be considered. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals or lawfully admitted permanent residents of the U.S.

The UCLA Graduate Training Program in Clinical and Translational Investigation (also known as the K30 Program) was developed to provide clinicians with the necessary training to become successful patient-oriented investigators who can bridge molecular medicine and clinical research.

Track II consists of a structured two-year part-time program that leads to a certificate awarded by the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and has a curriculum that assists participants in preparing highly competitive:

• Patient-oriented studies

• K23 applications

• NIH R01 grants in clinical research

• Research papers for publication in prestigious general medical/scientific journals. Areas of focus include clinical research design and methods, statistics, clinical pharmacology, genetics, women’s health, brain imaging, health service outcomes, regulatory issues, research in minority populations, and scientific writing.

Background:

The K30 program is a multidisciplinary effort at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to provide educational opportunities in clinical research for house staff (residents and fellows) and faculty. The K30 program offers various options available for advanced training in clinical research. Options vary from isolated workshops (see Track I) to a formally structured certificate program (see Track II) and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research (Track III).

The goals of these educational opportunities are to enable fellows and faculty to:

• Design and conduct clinical research (clinical trials and observational studies) and to successfully compete for funding (e.g. NIH K23 or RO1’s in Clinical Research)

• Analyze the data and interpret the results of their research

• Present their research at scientific meetings and in the medical literature

• Critique and interpret the research of others

For further information, please visit our website:  www.k30.ucla.edu or e-mail: k30@ucla.edu

LIVE AUDIO─VISUAL TRANSMISSION OF THIS EVENT

Scholars will give a 15 minute scientific presentation and will be provided 15 minutes for comments and questions.
Please respond with your “RSVP” so that we will have lunch reserved for you. For additional information and RSVP, please contact: Linda or Allison (310) 794-7953 or LCEscobar@mednet.ucla.edu

Itinerary & Featured Scholars:

12:00 - 12:25 Lunch, Welcome & Introductions
Carol Mangione, M.D., Education & Training Program Chair, CTSI at UCLA

12:25 - 12:45 Key Note Speaker: Jonathan Braun, M.D., Ph.D., Program Director, CTSI at UCLA
“Linking Translational Research to the Health of our Community: The CTSI Initiative”

12:45 - 1:15 Mina Chamberlin, M.D.
“Gpnmb: A Novel Urinary Biomarker of Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease Progression”
Mentor: Sharon Adler, M.D.

1:15 - 1:45 Tamara Horwich, M.D.
“Management of Diabetes with Metformin in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.”
Mentors: Gregg Fonorrow, M.D. and W. Robb MacLellan, M.D.

1:45 - 2:15 Xiao Hu, Ph.D.
“Translational Biomedical Informatics Research: Transforming Reactive into Proactive Care
at UCLA Neurocritical Care Unit”.
Mentor: Paul M. Vespa, M.D., FCCM

2:15 - 2:45 Christine S. Walsh, M.D., M.S.
“The Role of cyclin E in ovarian cancer.”
Mentor: Beth Y. Karlan, M.D. and Sandra Orsulic, Ph.D.

2:45 - 3:00 Closing Remarks

The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium will present:

Decision Making in T1 Translational Research
February 10, 2009: 8:15 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
February 11, 2009: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Natcher Conference Center
45 Center Drive
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Click here to view the Working Agenda

Join us for this event to identify common challenges encountered in T1 translational research, solutions to these problems and best practices for moving projects forward.

The conference will concentrate on
1) team science and pathways;
2) incorporating advanced technologies and animal models into T1 research; and
3) young investigators’ needs in the context of problems, solutions and best practices.

Featured speakers are leading investigators from some of the nation’s top research institutions, including those that are part of the CTSA, National Primate Research Center and Biomedical Technology Research Center programs.

This event is free and open to the public. Early registration is strongly encouraged due to space limitations. The registration deadline is February 2, 2009. Individuals with disabilities who need sign language interpreters and/or reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 at least five days prior to the event.

For more information and to register, visit
http://palladianpartners.com/TR-Workshop

If you have logistical questions, are unable to access the links on this page or if you require assistance registering, contact Monica Barnette at 301-650-8660 or mbarnette@palladianpartners.com.

For questions about the workshop content, contact John Harding, Ph.D., at 301-435-0744 or
hardingj@mail.nih.gov

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH

Main Hospital, Sixth Floor Conference Room 6L2

Stewart A. Laidlaw, PhD – Director, Compliance Office, LA BioMed

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F A L L   2 0 0 8   P r o g r a m   S c h e d u l e

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Core Unit 1

12/1 Protecting Human Study Volunteers

Monday  4:00-5:30PM

•           Historical Perspective

•           Ethical Response

•           Regulatory Response

•           Institutional Review Boards

•           Informed Consent

•           Applying and interpreting the regulations

•           Special protections for vulnerable subjects

Core Unit 2

12/8 On Being a Scientist –

The Ethical Conduct of Research

Monday 4:00-5:00pm

This session will cover the responsibility of a scientist with regard to conduct of research. Various areas of misconduct, including falsification, fabrication and plagiarism will be reviewed. The session will also review the regulatory response to instances of scientific misconduct, the Institutional position, including its assurance, and the role of the Ethical Standards in Research Committee.

Core Unit 3

12/15 Practical Issues in the Conduct of Research

Monday 4:00-5:00pm

•          Data acquisition, management, sharing and ownership

•           Mentor/trainee responsibilities

•           Publication practices and responsible authorship

•           Peer review

•           Collaborative science

Core Unit 4

12/22  Case Discussions

Monday 4:00-5:00pm

Course participants will discuss specific scenarios and the ethical issues involved. The format will be round table with a discussion leader to guide the discussion.

Please contact the GCRC office to register!

 gcrcinfo@labiomed.org or (310) 222-2503.