2026 Fall CTSA Program Annual Meeting: Highlighting Georgia CTSA's Collaboration and Innovation

group photo of CTSA leaders
(L-R) Susanna Naggie, MD, MHS, Duke CTSI; Deepak Kumar, PhD, Duke CTSI; Joan D Nagel, MD, MPH, NCATS; Andrew C. West, MBA, MHA, Georgia CTSA; Michael G. Kurilla, MD, PhD, NCATS; W. Robert Taylor, MD, PhD, Georgia CTSA; Elizabeth O. Ofili, MD, MPH, Georgia CTSA; and Nikki Llewellyn, PhD, Georgia CTSA

Georgia CTSA took an active role in the success of the 2026 Fall CTSA Program Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, from September 23-25. This year’s focus was “From Discovery to Impact: Advancing the Translational Pathway," and featured CTSA Enterprise Committee and Leadership Meetings, as well as general sessions designed to strengthen collaboration across the CTSA Program.

We're proud that several of our principal investigators, leadership, and key administrative stakeholders represented Georgia CTSA alongside our colleagues at this year's conference. Georgia CTSA's involvement included a poster presentation, a featured talk, and participation in meetings that help shape the future of the CTSA Program.

SHARING THE IMPACT OF 20 YEARS OF CTSA RESEARCH

Nikki Llewellyn with poster presentation
Georgia CTSA’s Nikki Llewellyn, PhD, Associate Director, Research Projects, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement, led the evaluation project, From Discovery to Policy Guidance: 20 Years of CTSA Research Shaping Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines. She was one of four attendees selected to present a Lightning Talk, representing Domain of Policy at this year’s conference.

Llewellyn's presentation explored how the past 20 years of research supported by the CTSA consortium has significantly influenced clinical practice, with more than 14,000 CTSA-supported publications cited nearly 30,000 times in over 13,000 clinical guidelines worldwide. These findings demonstrate how translational research moves beyond academia to inform evidence-based healthcare and policy decisions across areas including infectious disease, pediatrics, oncology, and maternal health. 

"Our evaluation demonstrates how CTSA-supported research evidence is incorporated as one source of influence on evidence-based clinical guidelines. Understanding this translational process illuminates how CTSA support of research may continue to shape research-informed clinical practice policies," shares Llewellyn.

This poster was created in collaboration with co-authors, Eric Nehl, PhD, Director, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement (Georgia CTSA); Rosalina Das (Miami Clinical & Translational Science Institute); Deborah DiazGranados, PhD (VCU C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research); and Clara Pelfrey, PhD (Clinical and the Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio). This cooperation grew out of the CTSA Evaluator's Bibliometrics Workgroup, which Llewellyn, Nehl, and DiazGranados led. These teams have worked together on prior CTSA evaluation publications, using shared data and expertise to examine the impact of the larger CTSA Program.

LEADING CRITICAL NETWORK CONVERSATIONS

Several Georgia CTSA leaders participated in critical CTSA Program conversations during the 2026 Fall Meeting. The following sessions provided opportunities for our leaders to connect with other CTSA networks, with the collective goal of advancing the mission of the CTSA Program.

CTSA Administrators Meeting
Andrew C. West, MBA, MHA, Executive Center Administrator, and Kristen Schroeder, MBA, Financial Planning and Analysis Manager, met with other CTSA administrators and finance managers to share best practices and discuss areas of common interest.

West co-led a table discussion with his counterpart from the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio focused on RPPR preparation, focusing on streamlined data collection, effective use of reporting tools, NIH compliance requirements, and strategies for managing flagged terminology. Participants emphasized concise, outcome-focused reporting, improved tracking systems, and cross-institutional collaboration to enhance the efficiency and quality of CTSA progress reports.

Steering Committee Meeting
Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH, Principal Investigator (Morehouse School of Medicine) represented the Georgia CTSA and the CTSAs from University of Florida, University of Miami, Duke University, University of North Carolina, and Wake Forest University at the Steering Committee meeting.

The Steering Committee provides leadership in promoting the exchange of policies, practices, and resources. It also facilitates discussions on various topics such as opportunities, challenges, and broad issues that hinder clinical research.  Furthermore, the Steering Committee recommends best practices and policies to support the growth of clinical and translational research as a discipline. It encourages collaboration and sharing among CTSA Program and non-program institutions, as well as with partners in clinical and translational research including industries, laboratories, and hospitals.

UL1/UM1 Principal Investigators Meeting
Georgia CTSA Principal Investigators W. Robert Taylor, MD, PhD (Emory), Bradley G. Phillips, PharmD (UGA); and Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH (MSM) attended the PI meeting to discuss shared challenges faced by CTSA members, including NCATS prior approval requests, public access policy compliance, and other obstacles faced by CTSAs.    

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE

Our leaders' participation at the 2026 CTSA Fall Program Meeting showcased Georgia CTSA's commitment to leading translational science in Georgia and nationwide. By connecting with CTSAs across the country and amplifying innovative work, our consortium is helping turn discoveries into solutions to improve health.