The mission of Columbia University Medical Center’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) is to transform the culture of biomedical research to hasten the discovery and implementation of new treatments and prevention strategies.  Our core objective is to move the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) research community to a more multi- and interdisciplinary scientific mindset by removing barriers and creating incentives for interactions among investigators from different disciplines.  CUMC’s first step towards reaching this goal was the establishment of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the academic home for patient oriented research at Columbia.  The Irving Institute faculty includes some of CUMC’s most accomplished senior researchers who provide leadership and serve as mentors for junior faculty, fellows, and trainees.  Specially-selected junior faculty, the “CTSA Fellows,” work with senior faculty to develop novel approaches to advancing multi- and interdisciplinary clinical and translational research.  The resources provided by the Irving Institute offer support in biomedical informatics, study design and biostatistics, bioethics, regulatory issues, core laboratory facilities and, of course, a fully-staffed Clinical Research Resource for use by researchers across the campus.

As part of the CTSA program, the Irving Institute offers an integrated educational program that includes a multidisciplinary patient-oriented research Master’s program for fellows and junior faculty, a multidisciplinary, mentored research program for junior faculty, and a pioneering cross-over training program for pre-doctoral students in basic and population sciences.  By harnessing the collective talents of diverse senior faculty at Columbia’s schools of medicine, public health, nursing, dentistry, and the graduate school of arts and sciences, as well as community partners, the Irving Institute serves as CUMC’s intellectual and physical hub for the next generation of clinical and translational investigators who will approach complex health questions using multidisciplinary approaches and novel methodologies. This advances our ultimate goal:  to enable faster, more effective detection and utilization of research advances to benefit patients and the community. 

The Irving Institute’s headquarters occupies the entire 10th floor of two connected buildings, the Presbyterian Hospital and Harkness Pavilion.  The total space occupied is approximately 25,000 square feet.  The administrative center occupies 1,211 square feet at the center of the overall space.  Immediately adjacent, are both the Adult Outpatient Unit (2,450 square feet) and the Adult Inpatient Unit (9300 square feet). Across the hall are 690 square feet of space dedicated to the Bionutrition Unit.  Also included is a cluster of office space totaling 1,000 square feet, which  houses additional Irving Institute staff, faculty and collaborators.  A 400-square foot conference room and 5,000-square feet of laboratory and office space used for the Biomarkers Core Laboratory round out our state-of-the-art location.