About Us

The Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator (CTRA) is dedicated to the process of applying discoveries generated in the laboratory and in preclinical experiments, to the development of clinical studies, and to the design of clinical trials. Our work spans several domains, from biomarker discovery and validation to interventional data science and analytics. Our team is comprised of talented physicians and scientists committed to patient-oriented research and developing solutions in clinical medicine and disease management in the community. The Program aims to combine the creativity, commitment, experience, and skills of our physician-scientists, with the goal of improving the care of our patients.

The Program develops novel translational research methodologies for assessing biomarker performance and identifies innovative strategies to treat complex clinical disorders, such as peri-operative kidney injury, post-transplantation kidney injury, and hepatorenal and cardiorenal syndromes. A large biosample repository with associated bioinformatics has been established to support all phases of translational research and biomarker development. The Program also has a real-time analytics core that integrates prognostic and predictive models into the electronic health record. We also recruit and train students and young scientists in translational research education.

F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE, has assumed the role of Director of CTRA. Chirag Parikh will continue to support CTRA studies as an adjunct Yale Professor of Medicine, in collaborations as Chief of Nephrology at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Wilson brings a new focus to CTRA using real-time analytics to target diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to patients at risk of clinical deterioration. This research includes studies on electronic alerting, rare-event prognostication, machine-learning, and clinical decision support, all built on a backbone of rigorous, randomized clinical trials. We have created a collaborative environment and actively seek the perspective of those who will use or potentially benefit from our research. Our ultimate goal is to demonstrate that patients directly benefit from the applied science we develop.

If you should use the resources of the Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator, Please be sure to cite CTRA in all publications and grants.