Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute

Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute
Name	Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute
Established	2014
Parent	University of California, San Diego
Director	Gary S. Firestein
Location	San Diego, California, United States
Website	https://actri.ucsd.edu/

Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute is a major biomedical research hub within the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and part of the national Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its primary mission is to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into practical medical applications that improve human health. The institute provides centralized resources, advanced core facilities, and collaborative frameworks to support researchers across the UC San Diego Health system and its broader academic and community networks.

History and establishment

The institute was formally established in 2014 following a transformative philanthropic gift from the Altman family, long-time supporters of medical research in San Diego. This gift, combined with a substantial Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) renewal grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), enabled the creation of a dedicated physical and administrative home for translational science at UCSD. The construction of its state-of-the-art building on the east campus of UC San Diego Health in La Jolla consolidated previously dispersed clinical research activities. Its founding was a strategic response to the growing national imperative, championed by the NIH, to bridge the gap between laboratory bench discoveries and patient bedside care more efficiently.

Mission and objectives

The core mission is to dismantle barriers in the translational research pipeline, often termed the "Valley of Death," where promising discoveries fail to become viable therapies. Key objectives include fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among basic scientists, clinical investigators, and biostatisticians, and providing robust training in clinical research methodologies. A central tenet is enhancing community engagement to ensure research addresses local health priorities and promotes health equity. The institute actively works to streamline regulatory processes, develop novel research methodologies, and implement innovative clinical trial designs to increase the efficiency and impact of translational science.

Organizational structure and leadership

The institute operates under the leadership of a director, a position held since its inception by Dr. Gary S. Firestein, a renowned rheumatologist and former dean of translational medicine at UCSD. Governance involves close integration with the senior leadership of UC San Diego Health and the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Scientific direction is guided by an executive committee and several advisory boards, including a prominent Community Advisory Board that incorporates patient and community stakeholder perspectives. The structure is designed around thematic centers and service cores that report through associate directors, facilitating coordination across a vast network of departments and institutes like the Moores Cancer Center and the Sanford Stem Cell Institute.

Core facilities and resources

The institute houses a comprehensive suite of shared resource cores to support all phases of translational research. Critical facilities include a dedicated Clinical Research Unit (CRU) for patient-oriented studies, a Biorepository for biospecimen storage and management, and a Biostatistics and Research Design unit. Advanced resources encompass the Translational Research Technology core for genomics and proteomics, an Investigational Drug Service pharmacy, and a regulatory knowledge and support core for navigating FDA and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements. The physical building itself features modular clinical research spaces, advanced imaging suites, and collaborative workspaces designed to foster interaction.

Key research programs and initiatives

Major programs leverage San Diego's strengths in areas like immunology, neuroscience, and precision medicine. Signature initiatives often focus on complex, multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. The institute runs specific career development programs, such as KL2 and TL1 awards, to train the next generation of translational scientists. It also pilots novel collaborative models, including adaptive clinical trial platforms and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) projects that actively involve participants from diverse communities across San Diego County.

Funding and partnerships

Primary funding stems from the NCATS CTSA grant (UL1 award), which requires rigorous peer review and competitive renewal every five years. This federal funding is significantly supplemented by philanthropic support, notably from the Altman Foundation, and institutional investment from UCSD. Strategic partnerships are extensive, including industry alliances with pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms in the Torrey Pines Mesa area, collaborations with other UC campuses and CTSA hubs nationwide, and ongoing engagements with regional health systems like the Veterans Health Administration and Rady Children's Hospital.

Impact and achievements

The institute has demonstrably accelerated the translational research enterprise at UCSD, contributing to a marked increase in the number of initiated clinical trials and investigator-initiated Investigational New Drug (IND) applications. Its support has been instrumental in the development of novel therapies that have advanced to late-stage trials and regulatory approval. The community-engaged research model has improved recruitment of underrepresented populations into studies, enhancing the generalizability of findings. Furthermore, its training programs have produced a cadre of independent physician-scientists and researchers who now lead translational teams across the country, amplifying its impact on the national biomedical research ecosystem.

Category:University of California, San Diego Category:Medical and health organizations based in California Category:Medical research institutes in the United States