UR CTSI Demystifies Translational Science with New Online Course

In the wake of major national efforts to promote translational science, the University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) has developed one of the first massive open online courses (MOOC) focused on this topic. The Introduction to Translational Science course is now open for enrollment on Coursera, an educational program platform that provides universal access to online courses from top universities and organizations the world over.

The course will provide students with a broad understanding of clinical and translational science and how it impacts the public at large as well as its potential to breakdown or bypass obstacles that slow clinical research. Six modules focusing on different phases of the translational research continuum (from molecules to populations) will be taught over a three week period. Each module includes investigator stories from notable researchers across the University of Rochester, including:

• Laura Calvi, M.D., professor of Medicine at URMC, discussing her research focused on the molecular mechanisms of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells, and targeting these cells for therapeutic benefit in humans;
• Marvin Doyley, Ph.D., associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, discussing his imaging research which is being utilized in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer;
• E. Ray Dorsey, M.D., M.B.A., professor of Neurology at URMC, discussing his research focused on Parkinson’s disease and the development of the mPower app;
• Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Ph.D., associate professor of Environmental Medicine at URMC, discussing her work as a policy scientist and the creation of the Rochester Healthy Home museum;
• Stephen Dewhurst, Ph.D., vice dean for Research at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and associate vice president of Health Sciences Research at the University of Rochester, discussing the Center for AIDS Research and HIV vaccine development;
• John Cullen, Ph.D., director of Diversity and Inclusion at the UR CTSI and research associate professor of Clinical and Translational Research at URMC, discussing his research focused on intimate partner violence.

The Introduction to Translational Science course was created by a collaborative team, led by Sarah Peyre, Ed.D., associate dean for Innovative Education at UR SMD, and Eric Fredericksen, M.B.A., Ed.D., associate vice president of Online Learning and associate professor (clinical) in educational leadership at the University of Rochester Warner School of Education. Additional team members included Michael “Skooter” Capehart, who provided videography and production services, and Nicole O’Dell, M.L.S., who assisted with course creation and educational design support. 

The course is open to anyone interested in learning more about translational science and can be audited for free. Coursera also offers several options for students to receive a certificate of participation for a fee.

The project described in this publication was supported by the University of Rochester CTSA award number UL1TR002001 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Michael Hazard | 9/26/2017