The research group of the Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity (CTRAL) at the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, UAMS consists of 2 groups. The group of Dr. Robert Wolfe and Dr. Arny Ferrando that moved from the University of Texas in Galveston (UTMB), and Dr. Elisabet Borsheim and her group of researchers. Dr. Wolfe’s group has extensive years of experience in research on clinical nutritional and metabolism and research with stable isotopes. Our goal is not only to just perform animal and human (basic and clinical) research, but also to translate results obtained from research into practice. Dr. Borsheim has appointments at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the UAMS Department of Geriatrics, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. Her areas of interest are closely aligned with those of Dr. Wolfe and Dr. Ferrando and include nutrition and muscle metabolism.
Dr. Il-Young Kim, an Adjunct Assistant Professor, has been with the Center for several years now and his work deals with many different aspects of aging, such as protein metabolism, compromised blood flow, and nutritional supplementation.
Dr. David Church is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity in the Reynold institute on Aging, College of Medicine at UAMS. His research interest include counteracting catabolic stressors to maintain muscle health and the underlying biological and physiological processes involved.
What is Translational Research?
Translational research is an approach to research that seeks to produce more meaningful, applicable results that directly benefit human health. This approach emphasizes removing barriers to multidisciplinary collaboration among laboratory and clinical researchers. It also incorporates the desires of the general public, with communities being engaged to determine their needs for health innovation. The goal is to move basic science discoveries more quickly and efficiently into practice. This concept is often summarized by the phrases “bench-to-bedside” and “bedside-to-community” research.
Translational research also encompasses efforts to identify and support the adoption of best medical and health practices. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) translational research provides numerous targeted resources to address barriers that can curb productivity and the swift translation of research into new health care advances.
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), which supports the work of TRI, studies translation on a system-wide level as a scientific and operational problem. The NCATS website states that:
- Translation is the process of turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public — from diagnostics and therapeutics to medical procedures and behavioral changes.
- Translational science is the field of investigation focused on understanding the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process.