Clinical & Translational Research

Translational Research takes scientific discoveries made in the laboratory, in the clinic or out in the field and transforms them into new treatments and approaches to medical care that improve the health of the population.*

NC TraCS is part of a national consortium, funded through the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA), that shares a common vision to expedite the translational research process and the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for patients.

How does clinical research relate? An essential part of translating laboratory discoveries to treatments is clinical research, a type of research that involves a particular person or group of people or uses materials from humans. Clinical research is essential to bringing research discoveries to communities.

Clinical Research

1. Patient-oriented research. Research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects. Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies that utilize human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. It includes: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b), therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, or (d) development of new technologies.
2. Epidemiological and behavioral studies.
3. Outcomes research and health services research.

Translational Research

Translational research includes two areas of translation. One is the process of applying discoveries generated during research in the laboratory, and in preclinical studies, to the development of trials and studies in humans.

The second area of translation concerns research aimed at enhancing the adoption of best practices in the community. Cost-effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies is also an important part of translational science. **

How Research Works

The NIH has published an article explaining how research works, to help put the process of science into perspective. It is a useful resource to help explain why science changes—and why it's important to expect that change. View the article at www.nih.gov and the accompanying graphic: How Research Works: Understanding the Process of Science (pdf) | en español (pdf)

NC TraCS aims to enhance wellness and reduce the burdens of disease by supporting basic, clinical and population research; dissemination and implementation science; comparative effectiveness and health services research; development of new methods and best practices; approaches aimed at individual, family, community, institutional and universal application; and efforts aimed at prevention, treatment and cure of disease.

We partner with a number of community groups throughout North Carolina, particularly Healthy Carolinians, to identify health priorities in the state. Though we support efforts to enhance wellness and reduce the burden of all diseases, the following priorities have been identified for the 2018-2023 funding period:

Interested in helping advance promising treatments and medical care? Participate in a clinical trial. Research for Me @UNC and ResearchMatch.org can help pair you with studies you may find interesting.

On average, it takes the participation of 5,300 study volunteers to obtain the results needed for a new drug application. If you are looking for a clinical research study at UNC-Chapel Hill, search our local databases for appropriate opportunities as well as link with specific study coordinators in the area(s) of research for which you are most interested. Visit the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) for more information about clinical research and questions you should ask before volunteering.

In addition to participating in a clinical research study, we offer opportunities for you to guide and support health research on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and in your community. Connect with our Community and Stakeholder Engagement Program to learn more about the ways you can contribute to and inform the design and conduct of research at UNC.