Translational Science Training at NCATS

Emily Lee and Atena Farkhondeh Kalat discuss cell results displayed on a microscope in the Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases Biology Lab at NCATS. (Daniel Soñé Photography)

Developing the next generation of translational scientists is a priority area for NCATS. The NCATS Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI) provides a variety of training opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral level trainees. DPI is our intramural research program, with research groups located in Rockville, Maryland — a few miles from the main NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

DPI scientists develop system approaches that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the translation process. Examples include advancing new technologies to make preclinical research more predictive and efficient or de-risking potential drug targets or research projects to make them more attractive for commercial investment. More than 200 scientists from a variety of disciplines are responsible for advancing the diverse research portfolio of DPI. In addition to conducting cutting-edge laboratory research, DPI scientists collaborate with more than 250 research organizations worldwide.

Collectively, these individuals participate in a team science environment in which each project brings together expertise in:

Biology (biological and disease assay development)
Automation and engineering (high-throughput screening robotics)
Informatics and data analysis
Medicinal and analytical chemistry

To learn more, download the NCATS Intramural Program Flyer and visit the Intramural Research web page.

Interdisciplinary Interactions

The image below illustrates a great strength of the DPI training program: interdisciplinary interactions.

On the left, the image shows that DPI research teams are organized around —

Early Translational Branch (formerly NCATS Chemical Genomics Center), which includes 3D Tissue Biofabrication
Therapeutic Development Branch
Chemical Genomics Branch, which includes Assay Development and Screening Technologies, Chemistry Technologies, Functional Genomics Laboratory, Stem Cell Translation Laboratory, and Toxicology in the 21st Century
Core Facilities, including Informatics, Analytical Chemistry and Research Services

Many of these research teams use similar technologies, skills and expertise, shown on the right, to complete their projects, resulting in substantial collaboration among disciplines as depicted by the overlapping ribbons. The complementarity of expertise in DPI creates an enriching environment in which fellows learn multiple skills from domain experts and gain additional scientific and career mentorship.

Organizational and collaborative structure of DPI. </strong>DPI research teams (left) are organized into specific branches and use a variety of technologies and skill sets (right) to complete research projects. The width of the ribbons represents the amount of effort contributed by each research team to a specific technology and skill set. The significant overlap of the ribbons signifies the level of collaboration a fellow can expect when conducting research at DPI.

Organizational and collaborative structure of DPI. DPI research teams (left) are organized into specific branches and use a variety of technologies, skills and expertise (right) to complete research projects. The width of the ribbons represents the amount of effort contributed by each research team to a specific technology, skill and expertise. The significant overlap of the ribbons reflects the interdisciplinary collaboration that is ongoing at DPI.

Learn more about NCATS’ onsite research groups:

Learn more about NCATS’ intramural research training opportunities.