# Clinical Translational Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2021 · $240,751

## Abstract

The Clinical Translational Core (CTC) promotes the use of, provides access to, and supports state-of-the-art
technologies and resources to facilitate translation of basic science discoveries to the clinical setting, treatment
development, clinical trials, and community practice. Indeed, the Waisman Center has always focused on
clinical and translational research as one of the IDDRCs that contains a UCEDD (University Center of
Excellence in Developmental Disabilities), including eleven diagnostic and treatment clinics operated in
partnership with the two adjoining hospitals of the UW Health system and an inclusive model preschool
program-the Waisman Early Childhood Program (WECP). Our history of interactions between research and
clinical services continues to the present with studies of assessments, treatments, and interventions in
conditions such as traumatic brain injury, blindness, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. Our Core
incorporates new technologies and resources in biomedical research and serves as a focal point for cost-
effective and innovative translational research related to intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) on
our campus. The CTC has strong expertise in addressing challenges facing investigators who conduct
behavioral and bio-behavioral research on IDD populations. Such populations present challenges to
recruitment, require diagnostic evaluations by professionals with highly specialized training, and often involve
assessment via innovative measurement strategies designed to focus specifically on the construct of interest
and accessible to individuals with various types of disabilities; thus, linkages between basic, clinical and
community applications of research in this area are critical. The CTC assists investigators with these and other
challenges in the areas of recruitment, assessment, and behavioral methods development and applications.
The CTC was dramatically enhanced within the last year by the development and implementation of a biobank
to collect, store and make accessible for research biospecimens, clinical data, and health information from
individuals with IDD. We have expanded our clinical research coordination and navigation services and we
have upgraded our audio/video recording equipment for our behavioral testing suites. In response to COVID-
19, we have increased our clinical assessment and custom application services to support innovations needed
for virtual data collection. Our specific aims for the next project period are to provide (1) support recruitment of
human participants and provide access to data/specimens for behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical
research and clinical trials, including capacity for cGMP biomanufacturing; (2) provide research coordination
and navigation services; (3) provide specialized clinical assessments of individuals with IDD; and (4) provide
behavioral methods development and custom applications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10239778
- **Project number:** 1P50HD105353-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Leann Smith DaWalt
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $240,751
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-15 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10239778

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10239778, Clinical Translational Core (1P50HD105353-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10239778. Licensed CC0.

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