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Past Performances

Health Policy Research — Putting Real World Data into Action

Health Policy Research — Putting Real World Data into Action

CTIS and its Health Policy Research Consortium (HPRC) provided leadership and informatics support to address disparities in health outcomes across population groups through policy studies and advocacy. The HPRC received funding from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health as a multi-million dollar cooperative agreement over 5 years, which recently completed its work.

Members of the consortium included community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, schools of public health, state public health departments and clinical partners to design and conduct research studies whose outcomes would inform public policy decisions. The HPRC served as a hub of scientific expertise and community insight, with a solid foundation of informatics developed and maintained by CTIS in support for the enterprise.

Consortium members include: The Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland School of Public Health with a focus on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities and increasing minorities in health research through the Building Trust Initiative. 

The Morgan State University School of Community Health and Policy (SCHP)
  • The Health Policy Literacy Study (HPLS): Bridging the Gap between Community, Science and Policy

The Helene Fuld School of Nursing at Coppin State University with a focus on: The Health Policy Literacy Study (HPLS): Bridging the Gap between Community, Science and Policy, and Disadvantage in the Food, Built, and Social Environments: A Study of Cardiovascular Health (The CVD Study)

Selected Publications: Cardiovascular disease in the Nation’s Capital: How Policy and the Built Environment Contribute to Disparities in CVD Risk Factors in Washington, DC. J. Racial Ethnic Health Disparities, 2019, 6 (1): 46-55. Health Policy Responsiveness: Lessons Learned from Maryland and Prince George’s County. J. Racial Ethnic Disparities, 2017, 5(2): 366-374.

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Past Performances

Speeding Research on Viral Disease and Surveillance by Migrating Data to the Cloud

Speeding Research on Viral Disease and Surveillance by Migrating Data to the Cloud

Challenge:

Jamaica and the Caribbean region are frequently affected by outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases such as Chikungunya, Dengue, yellow fever, and Zika, as well as respiratory viruses like influenza and SARS-CoV-2. The University of the West Indies (UWI) plays a crucial role in monitoring these diseases through its National Influenza Center, but the region faces challenges in data management, analysis, and sharing among researchers. The growing need for real-time surveillance, cross-institution collaboration, and advanced data analysis required a scalable, secure, and accessible IT solution to support viral surveillance and research efforts.

Solution:

CTIS was selected as the cloud implementation partner to support the collaboration between SUNY Buffalo and UWI, expanding their viral surveillance program. Led by Dr. Gene Morse (SUNY Buffalo) and Dr. John Lindo (UWI), this initiative is backed by NIH’s Fogarty International Center. CTIS’s Chief Innovation Officer, Srikanth Uppalapati, leads the effort to migrate UWI’s virus surveillance data to the cloud, enabling enhanced analysis and collaboration across UWI campuses. By utilizing cloud infrastructure, the program ensures that researchers and trainees have access to a shared, secure computational environment to conduct advanced analyses and manage large datasets effectively.
This migration not only streamlines data management for viral surveillance but also provides invaluable hands-on experience for future leaders in medical virology, empowering them with cloud computing skills that are increasingly important in global health research.

Impact:

The migration of viral surveillance data to the cloud has accelerated research and improved the region’s capacity for monitoring and responding to viral outbreaks. UWI’s ability to conduct deeper analyses, in collaboration with other institutions, has been greatly enhanced, facilitating more timely and effective responses to epidemics. The project also strengthens the training program for virology researchers, equipping them with the necessary skills to manage data in cloud environments, which is essential for addressing future global health challenges. Through CTIS’s support, this initiative advances both the region’s viral surveillance capabilities and the development of a skilled workforce in medical virology.

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Past Performances

IT to Speed Cancer Clinical Trials

IT to Speed Cancer Clinical Trials

Challenge:

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) faces a complex challenge in managing cancer clinical trials across more than 2,000 sites in the U.S. and internationally. Coordinating research, ensuring patient safety, sharing adverse event data, and streamlining regulatory processes are critical to advancing cancer therapies. Without an efficient and user-friendly IT platform, researchers would experience delays in trial design, protocol agreements, and data sharing, ultimately slowing the approval of new cancer treatments and therapies. The NCI needed a secure, scalable IT solution to support the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) and the larger Cancer Trial Network.

Solution:

For over 25 years, CTIS has been the leading provider of information technology services to the NCI’s CTEP-ESYS, the backbone of its Cancer Trial Network. CTIS developed and maintained over 25 software solutions that enable seamless collaboration among cancer researchers, allowing them to work on shared clinical trial protocols more efficiently. These solutions facilitate faster design and approval processes by providing a platform for real-time collaboration. CTIS also developed systems to share adverse event data securely across trial sites and with the FDA, ensuring that medical monitors and regulatory officials can make timely decisions about patient safety.
CTIS’s technology ensures that trial data is protected, particularly safeguarding patient information. Their comprehensive IT services, including software maintenance and development, play a crucial role in managing clinical trial activities and expediting the creation of New Drug Applications (NDAs) for drug approval.

Impact:

CTIS’s long-term support of CTEP-ESYS has significantly accelerated the pace of cancer clinical trials, leading to faster drug approvals and quicker access to life-saving treatments for patients. Their solutions have improved collaboration across research sites, saved time in trial design, and enhanced patient safety through the timely sharing of adverse event data. As a result, CTIS has played a vital role in advancing cancer research and improving health outcomes. In 2022, CTIS received a $100 million contract under CIO-SP3 to continue supporting the program for another five years, demonstrating the sustained value and impact of their work.

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Past Performances

Managing Information and IT Processes to Advance the Nation’s Infectious Disease Research Agenda

Managing Information and IT Processes to Advance the Nation’s Infectious Disease Research Agenda

Challenge:

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) requires a robust IT infrastructure to manage its extensive clinical research agenda, particularly in infectious diseases. The agency faces the challenge of coordinating multiple programs, complying with federal regulations, managing large volumes of regulatory documentation, and streamlining information exchange across its diverse research efforts. Additionally, the NIAID Division of AIDS (DAIDS) needed specialized support for clinical trial management, regulatory tracking, and compliance, while balancing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Solution:

CTIS, as a subcontractor to both Digital Infuzion and Technical Resources International, provided comprehensive IT and project management support to NIAID. CTIS’s contributions include maintaining NIAID’s Clinical Research Management System (CRMS) to facilitate seamless collaboration, data sharing, and regulatory compliance. By offering project management, program coordination, and federal records management, CTIS ensured that NIAID could efficiently manage the lifecycle of clinical trials and related regulatory activities. CTIS also developed and enhanced critical tools such as the Adverse Events Processing System and Protocol Registration, while supporting both legacy and modernized systems.
CTIS implemented a Digital Government strategy to harmonize data across NIAID’s internal and external collaborators, provided ongoing application security, and facilitated decision-making through business intelligence and analytics. Their approach encompassed software development, system maintenance, and compliance reporting, aligned with Agile and CMMI frameworks to ensure that security controls and operational efficiency were maintained at all times.

Impact:

CTIS’s partnership with NIAID advanced the organization’s ability to manage clinical trials, streamline regulatory documentation, and comply with federal regulations more effectively. The enhanced Clinical Research Management System improved data exchange, facilitated collaboration, and reduced infrastructure costs. NIAID’s Division of AIDS benefited from new, custom-developed systems that replaced outdated infrastructure, enabling faster and more accurate tracking of clinical trials, regulatory submissions, and adverse event reporting. CTIS’s strategic IT solutions helped NIAID advance its infectious disease research agenda, ultimately supporting public health initiatives at the national level.