Monday, August 27, 2007

Duke Clinical Research Training Program celebrates 20 years of shaping the future of clinical research

For 20 years, the Duke Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) has been a leader in training the next generation of researchers. The CRTP is supported by the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and taught by dedicated faculty throughout the School of Medicine. Its masters' program focuses on research management, study design, biostatistical methods, ethical issues, medical genomics and more. The program continues to evolve as the field of clinical research grows and changes.

Since its early years as the Biometry Training Program to the present, the CRTP has awarded 229 degrees (as of May, 2007). Program graduates are working in more than 25 US states and 10 foreign countries. CRTP alumni have gone on to become leaders in academic medicine, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other government agencies and throughout the industry.

The CRTP formed a partnership in 1998 with the Clinical Center at the NIH to offer advanced research training to NIH professionals through videoconferencing. In 2002, the CRTP became the teaching core of Duke's Mentored Clinical Research Training Program – one of only 15 programs of its type funded by the NIH to help junior faculty transition to independent researchers.

Today, under Program Director Eugene Oddone, MD, MHSc, the CRTP continues to expand its scope. It w as recently named as the main educational program for Duke's new Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). This award will help research continue to move from “bench to bedside” – moving from clinical discovery to new medications and treatments that physicians can offer their patients.

Duke was one of only 12 national recipients of this groundbreaking award, and allowed Duke to create the Duke Translational Medicine Institute (DTMI). This will help transform how clinical discoveries and breakthroughs translates to better patient care. As clinical research continues to be at the forefront of transforming how medicine is practiced, it will become increasingly more important to have a smooth educational continuum between clinical and translational researchers. It will also be vital to improve communication with the broader public.

Learning research tools from a distance

Offering courses remotely opens advanced research training to novice investigators in different settings and specialties. The Online Core in Clinical Research certificate program, developed in partnership with the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), will soon enroll its third group of CREST (Clinical Research/Reproductive Scientist Training Program) Scholars. The original group, which completed the program in 2006, is leading efforts to develop a long-term research network among the Scholars.

As the CRTP has continued to expand its remote learning opportunities, it has developed a strong relationship with Duke University 's Center for Instructional Technology. This allows the CRTP to always stay abreast of the latest technology in remote teaching and learning.

Both the traditional CRTP classes and the new online component share tools to further enrich either curriculum. For example, many online tutorials are now available as complementary material for CRTP students. As a result, the CRTP is building a Web-based library of materials that teachers can use to enhance their specific courses.