The Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) hosted their 5th annual Symposium and Poster Display on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
(Photographer: Tina McGrath)
This year’s theme, “Advancing Clinical/Translational Science at an Academic Healthcare System” focused on how academic institutions, hospitals, and communities can partner in clinical and translational research to improve patient outcomes and, ultimately, patient health. The event was held in person this year offering opportunities for attendees to connect and visit while on the WashU Med Campus.
The Symposium kicked off with a welcome from ICTS Director William Powderly, MD followed by remarks by David Perlmutter, MD, Dean of the School of Medicine. Both Powderly and Perlmutter reflected on the ICTS’ achievements during the past 16 years and mentioned future initiatives as the ICTS embarks on its fourth cycle of consecutive funding from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health.
Following the welcoming remarks was a keynote panel comprised of two speakers, including Charles Friedman, PhD, from the University of Michigan and Judith Aberg, MD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Friedman spoke on that one of three critical defining features of a Learning Health System is the infrastructure that serves the needs of all system activities to improve the health of individuals and populations. The infrastructure can be considered a set of services comprised of people, processes, policies, and technologies. Dr. Friedman shared information on the Learning Health System infrastructure and its specific benefits.
Dr. Aberg spoke on how to operationalize and facilitate the conduct of clinical trials across a health system, including the advantages of centralizing specific processes, barriers to implementation, and thoughts on solutions. She shared lessons learned from her direct experience with Mount Sinai Hospital and her team.
Prior to the symposium, an electronic poster display featuring ICTS-supported projects was featured on the the ICTS website. A total of 38 posters were submitted and reviewed by 17 ICTS faculty from Washington University in St. Louis, University of Missouri – Columbia, and Saint Louis University. Read more about the winning posters.
The ICTS extends a sincere thank you to all the speakers, attendees, faculty and staff who helped to make the Symposium a success. Special thanks to Symposium co-sponsors including: Institute for Public Health at Washington University, the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (WUSM), Institute for Informatics, Data Science, Biostatistics and the Siteman Cancer Center.
Event Photo Gallery
