Research Space

CTRB

Clinical Translational Research Building

The University of Florida Clinical and Translational Research Building serves as the headquarters for clinical and translational science at UF and in the state. The building houses patient-oriented research venues for the Institute on Aging and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. The 120,000-square-foot facility features two main wings. Construction cost approximately $45 million, with $15 million coming from an NIH ARRA grant awarded to the Institute on Aging. Units in the new building include:

Location

The UF Clinical and Translational Research Building is located on the university’s Gainesville campus at 2004 Mowry Road on the northeast corner of Gale Lemerand Drive.


Kingston

Clinical Research Center

The UF Clinical Research Center (UF CRC) is an inpatient/outpatient research unit supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grant from the National Institutes of Health. The unit occupies 9,400 sq. ft. on the third floor of Shands at University of Florida and is staffed by a highly trained research staff including registered nurses, medical technologists, research dietitian, bionutrition and administrative staff. A Research Patient Advocate assists participants in research protocols to access their full range of rights and responsibilities. The UF CRC provides resources for conducting research on all age groups from neonates to geriatrics.

Nursing services include clinical trial co-ordination, administration of investigational medications, specimen collection including pharmacokinetic sampling, monitoring of vital signs, administration of glucose tolerance tests, exercise testing, and 24 hour EEG monitoring. Nursing assistance is also available for studies that are conducted outside of the UF CRC through the “Scatterbed” program. “Scatterbed” RNs provide research services Monday through Friday from 0800 until 1600 for inpatients and outpatients throughout the Shands Healthcare system. Facilities on the unit include 7 inpatient rooms, outpatient exam spaces, an exercise physiology room, and a special procedure room equipped for complex exams such as bronchoscopy and gene therapy. Available equipment includes pulmonary function equipment, dental chair, Bod Pod, Body Box, Metabolic cart, EKG machine and blood pressure monitors. The GCRC also has a procedure room, an exercise physiology laboratory and a sleep-study room. Within the UF CRC, there is a CLIA certified Core Lab and Metabolic Kitchen. In addition, a patient lounge/activity room is available to research participants.

Bionutrition services include 24 hour diet recalls, food record analyses, food frequency questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and protocol specific nutrition counseling/assessment. Protocol specific controlled meals can also be developed and provided. Core Laboratory services include sample processing with short term storage of specimens and sample analysis (urine pregnancy, glucose and lactate analysis via YSI, DNA extraction and urinalysis via dipstick). Other analyses include hemoglobin A1C and complete blood count for research purposes. We can also help to determine which tests are most appropriate for your research/clinical purposes.

The Center averages approximately 130 approved protocols from over 100 faculty conducting research in diverse areas, including genetic diseases, gene therapy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics, diabetes, neurologic, neuromuscular, rheumatologic, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and rare disorders in children.


Powell Gene Therapy Center

The primary mission of the Gene Therapy Center at the University of Florida is to merge molecular genetics research and health care delivery by developing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human diseases that involve gene transfer. The idea of gene therapy is a logical and natural progression of the last 20 years of research in medical genetics and molecular biology.

With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, as well as advances in immunology and structural biology, there has been an explosion of information about human genes and their functions. As a result of the National Genome Project it is expected that all human genes and DNA will be identified and sequenced within the next decade. As this information has accumulated it has become clear that virtually every disease has a genetic component. Thus if the right gene is delivered to the right location in the body at the right time, there is a potential for significant improvements in the management and correction of human diseases. Because essentially similar strategies can be applied to an extremely broad range of human diseases, the potential of gene therapy is considered to be extraordinary.

The diseases that might benefit from gene therapy include hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis or hemophilia, somatic genetic defects such as cancer, inflammatory diseases such as sepsis, and chronic diseases that have a genetic or viral component, for example, heart disease and hepatitis. In the words of the recent NIH report on gene therapy to the Director of the NIH, “integrating efficacious and workable gene therapy procedures into the health care system would signal a major development in medicine, comparable to past milestones, such as the introduction of aseptic techniques, antibiotics, vaccines, and tissue transplantation”.

To learn more about the Powell Gene Therapy Center click here.


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UF Health Shands Hospital

Nearly 900 expert UF College of Medicine and community physicians along with more than 8,000 skilled Shands nursing and support staff provide comprehensive high-quality patient care, from primary care and family medicine to subspecialty tertiary and quaternary services for patients with highly complex medical conditions.

The faculty from the UF College of Medicine includes nationally and internationally recognized physicians whose expertise is supported by intensive research activities. Shands’ affiliation with the UF Health Science Center allows patients to benefit from the latest medical knowledge and technology.

UF Health Shands Hospital’s specialty programs are consistently ranked among the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospital rankings.

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Medical / Dental Clinics and Locations

UF Health has many clinics and health care facilities in North Central Florida.


Medical Plaza -Pediatric Specialties

UF Health Pediatric Specialties – Medical Plaza offers nationally-recognized specialty care that’s easily accessible for your family. U.S. News and World Report ranked six of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital’s pediatric specialty programs among the nation’s best this year. As a leader in north Florida, this is the expertise and quality of care your family deserves.

Our physicians, who are faculty members at UF, are certified and expertly trained to provide your child with a full spectrum of pediatric specialty services in a convenient, state-of-the-art, recently renovated outpatient center. As part of UF Health, these services are linked to the advanced resources and facilities of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.