CTSC:TTiC.062811

Back to Collaboration:Harvard_CTSC

Agenda

1. Program Management Transition
2. Evaluation Data Collection form : spreadsheet with the data from our imaging program covering the time period November 2008 to June 2011.
3. Future plans

Harvard Translational Imaging Consortium Meeting Minutes June 28, 2011

In attendance:

• Valerie Humblet
• Jeff Yap
• Laura Alice
• Charles Guttmann
• Annick Van den Abbeele
• Gordon Williams
• David Frank
• Tony Hollenberg
• Eva Guinan

1. Program Management Transition

• Today the group welcomed the new management team. David Frank (DFCI), Eva Guinan (DFCI) and Tony Hollenberg (BIDMC) have been appointed co-Associated Directors of the I square program (Innovation and Implementation) that will replace the existing Translational Technologies program. David, Eva and Tony are working closely on this new program with Bill Chin (HMS Executive Dean for Research) and Lee Nalder (PI of the Harvard Catalyst). As of today they take over the position occupied by Gordon Williams.

2. Evaluation Data Collection form

• Valerie presented a draft version of the data collection form to provide information about the consultation service. She went through the numbers (# of consults, faculty rank and institution repartition, satisfaction rate, outcomes etc). Information about the mechanism of consultation request and assignment were also provided.
• Annick gave an overview of the very diverse type of consultations we do. She also mentioned that cross-institution collaboration has never been a problem because in imaging there is a culture of collaboration.
• Charles and Annick presented the efforts done so far in implementing a clinical trial working group that focuses on validation of imaging biomarkers.
• Gordon talked about the issue related to the cost of imaging (either for data collection or data analysis). For some young investigators it has really been a major limitation for collaboration. He mentioned that about 2 years ago we put in a request to Harvard Catalyst Central to have some money of the pilot grants dedicated to fund imaging pilot projects.
• Tony and David agreed that there is a need for better biomarkers and it can not been done without the development of imaging biomarkers. It would be very valuable to be able to add an imaging component to already funded clinical trials.

3. Future plans

• We need to get out more to the community, think about a way to do the best marketing possible. E-mails have became less efficient because people receive so many. It would probably be a good idea to resume the presentations around the different hospitals.
• Eva pointed that first we should understand why people requested a consultation in the first place: do they think we will offer them money for scanning, is the service well enough known that people come to us first, did they try to solve the question within their institution first but unable to find a solution came to us?
  • Jeff mentioned that our educations offerings were targeting young investigators and it led to a new type of interactions. It is sometimes hard for these junior people to contact senior faculty. Harvard Catalyst helps lowering that barrier.
  • Valerie proposed to work with Michele Sinunu from the evaluation to develop a small survey that will be send to anyone who requested a consultation in the past (imaging and/or genetics).
• Next meeting (July 12):
  • discuss questionnaire to be send across program to learn more about the people who contacted us
  • present final version of data collection form
  • imaging biomarkers validation