General Clinical Research Center

EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED. The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) serves as the physical and intellectual focus for clinical research endeavors at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. For 42 years, the GCRC has provided the essential resources to: 1) elucidate pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for a variety of diseases, and 2) facilitate the rapid translation of advances in basic scientific knowledge into new or improved methods for patient care. The GCRC also serves as the primary training site for clinical investigators in the Physician/Scientist tradition. Continuation of this invaluable research and training resource will permit the accomplishment of on-going studies by multidisciplinary teams of investigators. This application provides highlights of the clinical research that has been conducted since the previous grant submission in 2000 and presents the proposed research activities for the upcoming five-year cycle. GCRC research activities will continue to emphasize translational research, especially in the development of molecular-based diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic modalities. Areas of focus will include neuropsychiatric, inherited metabolic and allergic disorders, epidemiology of cancer, HIV, gene therapy and environmental determinants of development. GCRC educational activities will continue to integrate with new, evolving Institutional programs for education and training of clinical investigators. The Imaging Core will expand to include PET scanning and the provision of more interpretative services. The Informatics Core will provide a new software platform to facilitate protocol management and integration with other Institutional databases. The Core Laboratory will further expand its molecular biology services including the development of a new, GCRC-based Proteomics Core, which will provide expertise and instrumentation to investigators seeking new biomarkers of disease. These new technologies should position the GCRC to take advantage of anticipated medical advances resulting from the molecular and technological revolutions.