Articles

Community PARTners links University to community

Category: Health Published on Wednesday, 19 September 2012 11:07 Written by Courier Newsroom

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute has one mission: to facilitate the translation of research advances into clinical and public health practice and policy—bridging the laboratory bench to patient bedside to community-based practice. To achieve this goal, CTSI is working to join together existing programs with new initiatives to create an awareness and understanding of the benefits to health that can be realized from research. CTSI has established 10 core divisions to take on this mission. Community PARTners (Partnering to Assist Research and Translation) is one of these cores. It aims to be an essential link between the University and the community, which is why they are teaming up with the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and the New Pittsburgh Courier to let people know about health information and research that is going on right now.

Research studies need participants of all ages, genders, races, and ethnic groups. Some studies need healthy participants, while others need people with specific health problems. The research participant registry is a voluntary database of people who are willing to consider participation in research studies. Its goal is to bring the advancements of medical research more directly and quickly to those who can benefit from them. Although the research participant registry is a joint effort between the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, you do not need to be a patient in the UPMC health care system to sign up for the registry. If you decide to join, you may:

• Learn ways to possibly improve your health

• Gain access to new medications, tests, and programs before they become widely available or that may not be available outside of research

• Potentially help others

• Further knowledge of health and effective medical care

For more information, please contact Community PARTners at 1-866-422-1575.