Click to visit the Louisiana CaTS Center websiteThe overarching objective of the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science (LA CaTS) Center is to transform the clinical and translational research efforts of our region away from the status quo, where institutions operate in isolation to pursue their institutional missions, and toward a cohesive, mutually supportive enterprise for clinical and translational research. The LA CaTS Center represents a unified, comprehensive approach targeting the theme of “prevention, care and research of chronic diseases in the underserved population”.
The lead institution for the LA CaTS Center is the Pennington Biomedical Research Center of the Louisiana State University (LSU) System (based in Baton Rouge). In order to implement significant transformational change in our region, Pennington Biomedical has partnered with and has highly synergistic and integrative collaborative programs with the Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC-NO) and the Tulane University HSC, both in New Orleans. The LA CaTS Center is also supported by collaboration with LSU in Baton Rouge, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Xavier University and Research Institution for Children in New Orleans. LA CaTS center has partnered with South Carolina, another IDeA state, to share resources and collaborate on studies with the CTSA at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
The LA CaTS Center intends to build upon the structure of our COBREs and INBREs of the state and to involve the COBRE/INBRE investigators in every key component activity. Thus, based on an emphasis to significantly enhance clinical and translational research by the collaborating institutions, the LA CaTS Center will have a significant impact on understanding the pathophysiology, prevention, management and research of chronic diseases in underserved populations.
The LA CaTS Center’s mission is to “encourage, support, and expand clinical and translational research through partnerships both among researchers and with the people we serve.” To accomplish our stated mission, the LA CaTS Center will have the following Specific Aims.