A passion for excellence

CTSI Academy of Research Excellence Members
Inaugural members of the CTSI Academy of Research Excellence include (bottom row, left to right): Peggy Borum, Emina Huang, Jacqueline Hobbs, Latha Stead, Gary Wang, Katherine Karpinia. (Top row, left to right): Michael Bubb, Reginald Frye, Thomas George, David Winchester, Samsun Lampotang, Todd Manini, Barbara Lutz and Ramon Rodriguez

CTSI celebrates inaugural members of its Academy of Research Excellence

By Claire Baralt for The POST

When Ray Moseley, Ph.D., approached the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute with an idea to create a new kind of program that seeks out, strengthens and rewards excellence in clinical research, he didn’t expect to get a green light.

And no one was sure what to expect when he launched the CTSI Academy of Research Excellence in February 2012 and issued its first call for applications.

“Within days of a single email going out, close to 50 people wanted to get into the program,” recalled David R. Nelson, M.D., director of the UF CTSI. “There’s a hunger for people to pursue excellence. It’s reassuring and satisfying to hear.”

At an awards dinner Nov. 1, the UF CTSI honored the first 14 investigators to become members of the CTSI Academy of Research Excellence.

A reflection of the diverse expertise at UF, academy members represent the colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. More than 30 invited guests assembled to celebrate their accomplishments, including CTSI leaders, deans, department chairs, division chiefs and mentors of inductees.

But induction into the academy is just the beginning.

Part of the CTSI Training and Professional Development Program, the Academy of Research Excellence promotes high-quality, innovative clinical research through programs that emphasize research integrity, ethics and professionalism. Completion of the academy’s Master Certificate for Excellence in Human Subject Research and Protections leads to membership in the academy. Members are eligible for a streamlined Institutional Review Board process and personalized assistance with their research.

During his keynote address at the event, University of Miami bioethicist Kenneth Goodman, Ph.D., remarked that the UF CTSI Academy of Research Excellence is a model that is garnering interest at UM and other institutions.

“You’ve heard the slogan, ‘This is not your father’s Oldsmobile.’ Well, this is not your father’s research. Ethics is not about finger-wagging and scolding. It’s about positive projects that improve the health of the population,” Goodman said. “The tide rises when we collaborate and work together. This is what I hoped the NIH had in mind when they created the CTSAs.”

What’s next for the UF CTSI Academy of Research Excellence? The second cohort of investigators will begin in January 2013. The academy also is developing three new programs to begin in 2013 focused on informed consent training, skill development for investigators and professional excellence for research coordinators.

“This has been an amazing renewal for me — an opportunity to work with researchers at the top of their game who want to do better,” said Moseley, a member of the UF IRB and a bioethics professor in the UF College of Medicine.

CTSI Academy of Research Excellence Members

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Peggy R. Borum, Ph.D.

College of Dentistry

Katherine Karpinia, D.M.D., M.S.

College of Medicine

Michael R. Bubb, M.D.
Thomas J. George, M.D.
Jacqueline A. Hobbs, M.D., Ph.D.
Emina H. Huang, M.D.
Samsun Lampotang, Ph.D.
Todd Manini, Ph.D.
Ramon L. Rodriguez, M.D.
Latha Stead, M.D., M.S.
Gary P. Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
David E. Winchester, M.D., M.S.

College of Nursing

Barbara Lutz, Ph.D., R.N.

College of Pharmacy

Reginald Frye, Pharm.D., Ph.D.