Emory Research Track: Facilities and Resources
The CSTP is housed within the Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, which along with the Emory community offers comprehensive and complementary facilities and resources available to the psychiatry research track trainees and the multidisciplinary faculty of the program. Below represents an overview of the many cutting-edge facilities and resources that will available to the trainees in the CSTP.
Research Facilities
Emory University - Founded in 1836, Emory University is a national center for teaching, research, and service, awarding more than 4,921 undergraduate and graduate degrees annually. It is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 25 universities in the US (ranked 21st in the 2019 report). Researchers at Emory University received $689.1 million from external funding agencies in fiscal year 2019, with such funding having increased more than 50 percent over the past 10 years. Federal agencies awarded $451 million, or more than 65 percent of the total, led by the National Institutes of Health, with $381 million in awards. NIH funding represented nearly 84 percent of total federal dollars awarded to Emory.
Woodruff Health Sciences Center - Founded in 1966, the Woodruff Health Sciences Center includes three schools, a national primate research center, a cancer institute, a global health institute, and the most comprehensive health care system in Georgia. The center is a component of Emory University, and many of its facilities are located on Emory’s main campus, five miles east of downtown Atlanta. The center also has clinical facilities throughout metro Atlanta and the state. Components of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center include:
Emory University School of Medicine - Founded in 1854, Emory University School of Medicine is ranked among the nation’s finest institutions for education, biomedical research, and patient care. Emory University School of Medicine has 3,166 full- and part-time faculty and 816 volunteer faculty. The school has 582 medical students and trains 1,322 residents and fellows in 107 accredited programs. The school has 92 MD/PhD students in one of 48 NIH-sponsored Medical Scientist Training Programs. Some of these students are in a joint program with Georgia Tech, with which the medical school shares a biomedical engineering department ranked third in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The medical school also offers a joint MD/MSCR (master’s in clinical research) degree, an MD/MPH degree with public health, and an MD/ MA in bioethics with Laney Graduate School. Dual programs with law (juris master) and business (MBA) also are available. Some 133 medical faculty also train predoctoral bioscience researchers in eight programs in the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the graduate school. Faculty in five allied health programs train 522 students. These include physician assistant (PA) and physical therapy (PT) programs, each ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Medical school faculty received $443.8 million in sponsored research funding in fiscal year 2019. Ranked 18th nationally in NIH dollars received, the school is best known for its work in infectious disease, brain health, heart disease, cancer, transplantation, orthopedics, pediatrics, renal disease, ophthalmology, and geriatrics.
Physician faculty in Emory’s own and affiliate teaching hospitals and outpatient venues were responsible for 6.8 million patient service visits in 2018.
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing - The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing produces nursing leaders who are transforming health care through science, education, practice, and policy worldwide. It has 490 baccalaureate, more than 300 masters, 31 PhD, and 75 DNP students as well as five postdoctoral fellows. The number of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows includes those participating in the NINR-supported T32 program focused on interventions in chronic illness. Students who complete their degrees go on to become national and international leaders in patient care, public health, government, and education.
The school offers a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing undergraduate program with a strong foundation in liberal arts and nursing. The master’s program offers opportunities to specialize in advanced nursing practice in nine specialty areas with training provided in a number of clinical settings and roles. Two opportunities for dual-degree master’s programs are available with the Rollins School of Public Health and Laney’s Graduate School’s Master of Arts in Bioethics. Our DNP program focuses on two tracks, Post BSN DNP and Post MSN DNP with a focus in either Health Systems Leadership or Population Health. The program also prepares our students to become researchers, and since 2010, our PhD students have received 16 NIH NRSA fellowships.
In fiscal year 2018, the school received $17.9 million in external sponsored funding and $8.9 million in NIH research funding, ranking 3rd nationally in NIH funding among schools of nursing. U.S. News & World Report ranked the school’s graduate programs 4th overall. Major programs include the Fuld Fellowship, targeting second-career students with interest in serving vulnerable populations or palliative care patients; the Lillian Carter Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility; and the Maternal and Newborn Health in Ethiopia Partnership. The school has 350 full and part-time faculty and instructors, and students can learn from adjunct faculty at some 500 clinical sites.
Rollins School of Public Health - Founded in 1990, the Rollins School of Public Health has 1,164 master’s degree students and 180 PhD students who choose from degree options in behavioral sciences and health education, biostatistics and bioinformatics, epidemiology, environmental health, health policy and management, and global health. A leader in interdisciplinary studies, the school offers dual-degree programs with medicine, nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, business, theology, law, and the graduate school. A distance-based master’s program, the Executive MPH, allows professionals to pursue a degree while they are employed.
In fiscal year 2018, the school received $132.9 million in research funding, supporting programs in cancer prevention, cardiovascular epidemiology, nutrition, environmental health, HIV/AIDS, safe water, tobacco control, mental health, addictive behaviors, injury and violence, antibiotic resistance, diabetes and obesity, and health services. The school ranks sixth nationally in NIH funding.
Many of the 304 full- and part-time faculty and 450 adjunct faculty in six academic departments are linked by appointments, shared programs, or research grants with the CDC, Carter Center, American Cancer Society, CARE, Arthritis Foundation, Task Force for Global Health, and state and local public health agencies. Through these partnerships and in its role as a center for international health research and training, the school helps make Atlanta a worldwide destination for public health.
Emory National Primate Research Center - Founded in 1930 and dedicated to discovering causes, prevention, treatments, and cures, Emory National Primate Research Center (NPRC) is fighting diseases and improving human health and lives worldwide. One of seven NPRCs funded by the NIH, the center conducts studies that make breakthrough discoveries possible. Research involves 1,000 nonhuman primates at its main center on the Emory campus and another 2,000 at its field station in Lawrenceville, Ga. The center also has 7,500 rodents in its research vivarium.
The center has 348 staff members and 54 faculty scientists. Supported by $74.7 million in research funding (all sources) in fiscal year 2018 it ranks first in NIH funding among NPRCs. Researchers are making landmark discoveries in microbiology and immunology; neurologic diseases; neuropharmacology; behavioral, cognitive, and developmental neuroscience; and psychiatric disorders. The center’s research advances in vaccine development for infectious and noninfectious diseases, paves the way for earlier diagnosis of and new treatments for illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, defines the neurobiology and genetics of social behavior to support new therapies for autism spectrum and other disorders as well as drug addiction, and teaches us how interactions between genetics and environment shape who we are.
The center follows regulations and guidelines established by the NIH, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and more. Since 1984, it has been fully accredited by the AAALAC International, regarded as the gold seal of approval for laboratory animal care.
Winship Cancer Institute - Founded in 1937, Winship Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute–Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Georgia and one of only 50 in the country. Winship has 450 faculty, who received $82.4 million in research funding reported in 2018, with $21.2 million from the NCI. Faculty include investigators in the schools of medicine, public health, and nursing; Emory College; and Georgia Tech. They collaborate with professionals from around the world and with national and state agencies, including the CDC, American Cancer Society, Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance, and Georgia Research Alliance. In addition to using state-of-the-art approaches to therapy, Winship facilitates cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship through support groups and integrated complementary therapies.
Winship investigators conducted more than 250 clinical trials and enrolled 850 participants in these trials in 2018. Winship has the largest unit in Georgia for phase 1 clinical trials, which are important to introducing new therapies against cancer. Winship works with the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education to partner with community-based physicians to expand availability of clinical trials throughout Georgia. Winship also serves patients through the Winship Cancer Network, a partnership with community hospitals enhancing access to research and treatment.
Emory Global Health Institute - Founded in 2006 with a mission of advancing Emory University’s efforts to improve health around the world, the Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) has supported Emory faculty and student global health projects in close to 100 countries. The EGHI also leads externally funded programs designed to improve the health of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Emory Healthcare (EHC) - Emory Healthcare, with more than 22,600 employees and 11 hospitals, is the most comprehensive academic health system in Georgia. Emory Healthcare has $3.57 billion in annual net revenue and provides $98 million in charity care. System-wide, it has 2,691 licensed patient beds, nearly 2,800 physicians practicing in more than 70 specialties, and serves metro Atlanta with 250 locations. Emory Healthcare is the only health system in Georgia with three Magnet-designated hospitals, Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital, Emory University Hospital, and Emory University Orthopedics & Spine Hospital, for nursing excellence. Emory Healthcare’s mission is to improve the health of individuals and communities at home and throughout the world.
Research Centers and Programs
Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) - an NIH-funded collaboration between the Emory School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) was created to increase availability and enhance efficiency of clinical trials for patients. It is an inter-institutional magnet that concentrates basic, translational, and clinical investigators, community clinicians, professional societies, and industry collaborators in dynamic clinical and translational research projects. The Georgia CTSA provides research resources including technical support, biostatistical consultation, equipment, laboratory services and nursing support. A clinical interaction network provides support for conducting patient oriented research. Research educational opportunities include a Master of Science in Clinical Research program and KL2 Career Development Award for junior faculty. Community engagement is an important component of Georgia CTSA and promotes effective community participation in clinical trials to build a partnership between researchers and the community in order to reduce health disparities. Other components of Georgia CTSA include ethics and regulatory support; biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design support; a pilot grant program to promote new and multidisciplinary research; a tracking and evaluation unit; and the additional resources described below:
- Georgia CTSA Clinical Research Centers (GCRCs). Given the dispersed nature of the Atlanta research community and the goal to actively engage the community in bidirectional research translation, the Georgia CTSA has developed a three tier Clinical Research Centers (GCRCs) system that incorporates hospital-based, medical office-based and community-based clinical interaction sites through integration with the Community Engagement and Research Program. The efficient, flexible and geographically distributed GCRCs meet the needs of translational and clinical investigators from Emory, MSM, and GA Tech. An inter-institutional senior management team is present to streamline administrative efforts and to ensure appropriate city-wide access to resources. The GCRC supports 11 hospital based clinical research sites including sites at Emory University Hospital, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital, Emory Midtown, the Atlanta VA Medical Center, the University of Georgia Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Wesley Woods Geriatrics Center, the Morehouse School of Medicine, Winship Cancer Institute Developmental Therapeutics Unit, the Emory Emergency Department Research Program and the Saint Joseph’s Translational Research Institute.
- Clinical Data Extraction Service Center Georgia CTSA offers the Clinical Data Extraction Service Center which is an Information Technology-supported resource for investigators seeking access to information residing within the Clinical Data Warehouse of Emory Healthcare. Services include:
- Aggregate population queries for pre-research
- De-identified clinical data extraction
- Defining cohort populations for retrospective studies or patient recruitment
- Extraction of clinical information for current study populations
- Assisting with the migration of clinical data to research data repositories
The service center is organized to work with an investigator initially to determine the scope, deliverables, timeframe, and cost of a project. Ultimately to use this resource, an interested investigator needs to provide the Clinical Data Extraction Service Center with the necessary documentation which includes IRB approval or renewal letter, a copy of the research proposal, and HIPAA waiver or consent documents. These materials are distributed by the Clinical Data Extraction Service Center to the appropriate Emory Healthcare medical records department for data extraction. Once medical records approval is provided, the Clinical Data Extraction Service Center extracts the approved data and provide the appropriate reports to the investigator. The Georgia CTSA Clinical Research Centers (GCRCs) is partnering with the Clinical Data Extraction Service Center to offer this resource at a reduced cost to investigators.
- i2b2 is an open source technology created by Partners Healthcare and is used by academic medical centers around the world. Emory i2b2 lets Emory investigators query Emory Healthcare electronic health record data for patient counts and aggregate information free of charge. It is operated and funded by the Georgia CTSA in partnership with Library and Information Technology Services (LITS) and the Department of Biomedical Informatics. i2b2 supports pre-research queries for assessing study feasibility, for example, IRB protocol submissions and grant applications. Demographics, visit detail, diagnosis code, procedure code, medication order, and selected laboratory test data are available. With IRB approval, investigators can identify patients meeting study inclusion/exclusion criteria that have consented for research contact.
- Community Engagement Community Engagement supports community-university research partnerships, obtains community input into university research, and increases health research in community settings that is responsive to the health needs of the community. It connects existing academic community research programs from MSM, Emory, GA Tech, and University of Georgia, transforms research from a scientist-subject interaction to an equitable partnership, and trains investigators in principles of community-based participatory research. To reduce health disparities, Community Engagement:
- Builds community capacity to develop and conduct collaborative research projects to address critical public health needs
- Assists in the development of effective and sustainable community academic partnerships
- Conducts courses and seminars on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
- Provides training workshops for Community Engagement academic and community partners
- Provides a platform for shared communication, networking, and community engagement among our partners and other stakeholders
GRA Eminent Scholars represent the superstar scientists GRA helps universities recruit to our state. Each Scholar occupies an endowed chair, and the university raises private funds to match GRA's investment in the chair. GRA also makes key investments in the labs of these Scholars, so that they're able to attract more Federal and private research dollars (currently around $530 million annually).
The start-up companies that GRA helps to launch out of university labs are the product of scientific invention and discovery. GRA's venture development program seeds these companies with investment at a very early-stage, then provides executive guidance to help give startups the best chance of succeeding in the marketplace.
GRA Venture Fund, LLC is a separate enterprise that provides more investment and guidance for the most promising startups. This unique public-private investment fund is one of the largest venture capital funds in Georgia. Currently, a dozen or so companies are developing in the GRA Venture Fund portfolio.
Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (GDBBS) has around 400 graduate students in eight interdisciplinary PhD programs: Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology; Cancer Biology; Genetics and Molecular Biology; Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis; Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Molecular and Systems Pharmacology; Neuroscience and Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution. About 360 world-renowned researchers mentor students admitted to these programs, giving them a unique opportunity to train with faculty at: The American Cancer Society; The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Emory College; The Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center; The Rollins School of Public Health; The Carter Center; The Winship Cancer Institute; and the Emory National Primate Research Center.
Emory Neuroscience Graduate Program: The graduate program in Neuroscience at Emory University is a cross-departmental, interdisciplinary program that provides a collaborative atmosphere encouraging research excellence. It includes 115 faculty and more than 90 students that represent a broad scope of research interests within neuroscience, ranging from molecular to cellular to behavioral neuroscience. This program is one of eight Ph.D. programs that comprise the Emory Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (GDBBS), which includes over 260 faculty members in the Division, and graduate students of any program in the Division face no departmental barriers (e.g., course flexibility, multiple lab rotations).
The Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis Graduate Program offers interdisciplinary training in molecular and cellular immunology and the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of infectious disease.
Emory Brain Health Center: Unlike any other healthcare system in the country, Emory Healthcare combines neurology, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, neurosurgery, rehabilitation medicine, and sleep medicine to offer complete, coordinated care for disorders of the brain. Bringing these specialties together, allows more than 400 researchers and clinicians from different areas to work in collaboration to more rapidly predict, prevent, treat, or cure devastating diseases or disorders of the brain. These unique collaborations are demonstrated in some of the more than 20 centers and programs within the Brain Health Center.
The Emory Brain Health Center (BHC) building is 2 miles from the Emory Hospital, just off campus with highway access and free parking for patients. The facility houses the Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Sleep Center. Most of the outpatient and clinical research programs for these departments are carried out here. The building has five floors (25,000 square feet each) and each floor houses multiple departments with integration of the faculty offices, clinic space and research facilities. An educational suite for all learners (i.e. residents, fellows, medical students, graduate students, etc.) where the residents from all departments train in didactics, and where there are meeting rooms for case conferences and journal clubs is located on the first floor. The first floor also houses an auditorium for departmental grand rounds, conferences, workshops and meetings, and a cafeteria for patients and staff. The building additionally includes an infusion center, physical/occupation/speech therapy space, and a clinical/research MRI scanner. Directly adjacent to the primary location, the Emory Brain Health Center has an additional 27,200 sq ft of newly renovated clinical, office and laboratory space for the aging programs. A subset of the BHC’s programs and centers are listed below:
Atlanta Trauma Alliance (ATA) is a cross-departmental and cross-institutional coalition of basic, translational, and clinical researchers from multiple specialties and disciplines. These scholars are interested in studying the biological, psychological, social, and cultural risk and protective factors associated with trauma exposure and recovery from trauma. They also are invested in developing, evaluating, and disseminating culturally relevant trauma-focused interventions for individuals across the life-span with a history of trauma exposure (e.g., childhood maltreatment, intimate partner violence) who manifest psychological difficulties (e.g., PTSD, dissociation, suicidal behavior) and/or physical problems (e.g., cancer, chronic pain, Type 2 diabetes mellitus). Members of the ATA also are engaged actively in training future generations of trauma researchers and clinicians, including undergraduate students, graduate students from multiple fields, doctoral interns, and postdoctoral residents/fellows. The ATA builds on the strengths of a number of Emory programs:
Grady Trauma Project (GTP) aims to determine the relative contribution of genetic and trauma-related risk factors for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a cross-sectional study of a highly traumatized, low socioeconomic status, minority urban population. Although some level of fear and stress is normal following a traumatic experience, understanding the etiology of PTSD requires knowing why chronic pathological symptoms do not occur in all who experience trauma. Individuals appear to have different vulnerabilities for subsequent response to traumatic stress.
Grady Nia Project collaborates with many other agencies in the community to provide a wide range of services and resources to women in the Atlanta area. The mission of the Grady Nia Project is to empower abused, suicidal African American women to access behavioral health services, find a new sense of purpose, lead more meaningful lives, and affirm their commitment to living a violence-free life.
The Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program (TARP) has been providing primarily cognitive behavioral therapy within clinical and clinical research contexts at Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences since 1990. TARP is located on the third floor of the EP12 building next to the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program (MAP). The personnel have extensive clinical experience and all have been trained to conduct high-quality clinical research.
The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP) provides nationally renowned care for healing the invisible wounds of military service. Meet our expert team of leaders, clinicians, case managers, data analysts, outreach coordinators and administrative specialists who work together to help our veterans and service members reclaim their lives.
Adult Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Program - The program offers adult patients and their providers’ access to the latest practices in care for a full range of psychiatric problems. Treatment of anxiety and mood disorders is a specialization of this program.
Autism Center - The Emory Autism Center is a national model for diagnosis, family support and innovative treatment, as well as a vital source of professional training. The program opened in 1991 as a public, private and University collaboration. The Autism Center has always focused on producing and using knowledge, strategies and tools to improve the quality of life for each person served, while increasing the capacity for support within local communities across Georgia. In doing so, the Autism Center has become a national model providing clinical, educational and medical supports to individuals with autism (ages 15 months through adulthood). The Center also provides instructive guidance to family members, training to educators and professionals interested in learning how to better support children and adults with ASD and engaging learning experiences to those in the community who wish to simply create an inclusive society where one's strengths are valued.
Emory Behavioral Immunology Program is a central resource for individuals interested in clinical and basic science research on brain-immune interactions at Emory University. The program invites members of the research community to meet Emory investigators in the Behavioral Immunology Program and review their areas of research focus. Individuals who are interested in participating in specific studies are encouraged to review our ongoing research projects. Investigators in the program are particularly interested in interactions between the brain and the immune system, especially as they relate to the effects of inflammation on behavioral alterations including depression, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. The impact of specific strategies to limit the effects of inflammation on the brain including pharmacologic approaches are of special interest.
Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (CAMP) – CAMP is an interdisciplinary clinical research program that provides evaluation and treatment to children, adolescents and young adults with emotional and behavioral problems.
Center for Translational Social Neuroscience (CTSN) - The CTSN facilitates research in basic and translational social neuroscience and genetics with the goal of making discoveries that will impact strategies for treating psychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in the social domain, including but not limited to Autism Spectrum Disorders and Schizophrenia. Research within the center is conducted in animal models, including mice, voles, rhesus macaques and chimpanzees, as well as human subjects. Areas of focus include the neuropeptidergic regulation of social cognition in animals and humans, sociogenomics and transcriptomics, synaptic transmission, neuroimaging, and social psychology. The Center partners with the Pediatrics Autism Center, Marcus Autism Center and the Emory Autism Center to ensure intellectual transfer and to facilitate the translation of scientific discoveries to clinical applications. Center activities strengthen the community of basic scientists and clinicians with an interest in social behavior and disorders of social deficits. The Center also has a goal of training the next generation of translational researchers. Pilot funding grants seed new projects that will lead to external funding. The ultimate goal is to gain a better understanding of the social brain, and to develop new treatments for disorders of social impairments. Research in the CTSN is funded in part by the Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition. The goal of Conte is to launch an integrated, coordinated and rigorous research program to discover the neural mechanisms by which oxytocin modulates social cognition.
Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Program - This program specializes in treating patients with memory loss, dementia, and cognitive dysfunction and has several ongoing research projects focused on Alzheimer's disease, management of behavioral and psychotic symptoms, dementia associated with movement disorders and more.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Program - This program provides training and education for the prevention of prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs. In addition, children and families affected by fetal alcohol syndrome receive helpful services.
Fuqua Center for Late Life Depression - This program offers elderly adults access to treatment for depression and provides education to improve public awareness and understanding of elder patient depression.
Geriatric Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Emory’s Geriatric Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences specializes in providing psychiatric care to geriatric patients who are experiencing depression, anxiety and other psychiatric illnesses.
Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) - Founded in 2005, the ADRC is one of 27 active centers in the nation supported by the National Institutes of Health. The goal of these centers is to bring scientists together to facilitate their research and help learn more about Alzheimer’s and related diseases. The ADRC is also committed to the education of health care professionals, persons with Alzheimer’s disease, their families, and our community to aid in understanding, diagnosis and treatment of these illnesses. Research is crucial to gain more information about disease, provide better care, and ultimately, prevent the burden of neurological diseases for future generations. One particular area of interest of the Goizueta ADRC is a better understanding of mild cognitive impairment and early diagnosis and treatment of memory disorders.
Inpatient Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Individuals who are experiencing acute distress associated with behavioral health diagnoses can receive compassionate and caring inpatient treatment services at Emory University Hospital at Wesley Woods.
The Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program (MAP) is the largest clinical research program in the Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. MAP has been conducting NIH- and industry-funded outpatient research trials of major depression, PTSD, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder for 15 years. Trials conducted by MAP include industry- and federally sponsored studies. MAP personnel conduct telephone screening of approximately 1200 people per year for depressive or anxiety disorders, resulting in in-person evaluations of approximately 150-200 people per year who are interested in participating in clinical research. Potential research subjects contact MAP either through our telephone number or complete application forms located on the website. MAP is located on the third floor of the Executive Park 12 (EP12) building.
Movement Disorders Program - Emory is home to a leading treatment and research center for the spectrum of movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease, dystonia, essential tremor, Huntington's disease and Tourette's syndrome. The Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program under the direction of Dr. Stewart Factor cares for nearly 5000 patients with movement disorders. Emory was designated as the nation's first American Parkinson Disease Association Center of Excellence and the first Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence.
Neuropsychology Division - Neurological conditions can dramatically affect the emotional and behavioral functioning of the brain. Patients with sudden, chronic, or catastrophic neurological conditions can have significant and lasting problems adjusting to the condition and any resulting disablement.
Sleep Center - Emory is home to one of the country's leading diagnosis and treatment centers for all forms of sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movements (PLM), narcolepsy, sleep maintenance and parasomnia. The Emory Sleep Center provides state-of-the-art care for all types of sleep disorders, with the goal of providing expert service in a relaxed environment with comprehensive diagnostics and therapeutics. The skilled interdisciplinary team of 12 providers includes 10 board-certified sleep specialists and two nurse practitioners, all of whom have completed specialized training and education in sleep medicine. Sleep Center physicians include world-renowned specialists who are leaders in the field of sleep medicine. Through research and clinical trials, the Sleep Center is developing new and better ways to prevent and treat disease.
TMS Suite - The TMS clinic is located on the ground floor of the Emory Brain Health Center. The suite consists of two spacious treatment rooms, designed for the simultaneous use of two TMS machines. Patients in both rooms can be observed from the Clinical Coordinators’ post. Televisions are installed in both rooms to keep the patient occupied during the 40 minutes of rTMS treatments as patients are required to remain awake throughout the treatment session. The suite is equipped with dedicated power supplies to meet the requirement of the TMS machines. The TMS clinic has installed the MagVenture TMS Device which is capable of doing both rTMS and theta burst treatments. The new Neuronavigation equipment will be installed shortly for greater precision with stimulation localization. The suite also uses the Cool-B65 A/P, butterfly (figure 8) coil with active cooling that can be used to administer rTMS treatment as well as operate as a sham/placebo coil. There is no difference in appearance between the active and placebo sides, thus allowing double blinding of research studies. There is also an adjustable output for current stimulation of the patient’s skin synchronously with the magnetic stimulation pulses.
Treatment Resistant Depression Program - This consultation and referral service offers comprehensive evaluations for people who have complex and difficult-to-treat disorders. Patients are provided with an in-depth psychiatric consultation, including an extensive review of previous records, and detailed treatment recommendations.
Women’s Mental Health Program - Women dealing with mental illness, including during pregnancy, the postpartum period and breast-feeding, can receive diagnosis and compassionate care.
Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research is a member of the Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center network. Established in 1998 by Congress and managed through the NIH, these centers foster cutting-edge translational research into the causes and possible treatments for Parkinson's disease. Emory's center focuses on improving our understanding of movement problems in Parkinson's disease at the brain network level. The Center Aims are to conduct research that improves our understanding of the brain pathology and neural network dysfunctions in Parkinson’s disease, to develop new therapeutic approaches for Parkinson’s disease, to educate the public about current research and therapeutic development for Parkinson’s disease, and to provide a training environment that fosters integration between clinical care and basic research on Parkinson’s disease.
Marcus Autism Center As one of the largest autism centers in the U.S. and one of only five NIH Autism Centers of Excellence, Marcus Autism Center offers families access to the latest research, comprehensive testing and science-based treatments. With the help of research grants, community support and government funding, Marcus Autism Center aims to maximize the potential of children with autism today and transform the nature of autism for future generations. Marcus Autism Center is a not-for-profit organization and subsidiary of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta that treats more than 5,500 children with autism and related disorders a year. Marcus Autism Center has a research enterprise that both belongs to, and benefits from, every professional in the building and in the community through outreach work. The Marcus Autism Center’s research program is organized around the themes of diagnosis and evaluation, causes and biological mechanisms, intervention and treatment, and implementation and social policy.
Emory Neuromodulation and Technology Innovation Center (ENTICe) is a collaborative effort between the Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. What makes ENTICe unique is that it crosses the boundaries of traditional academic departments and scientific disciplines to focus on the specific goal of advancing research in neuromodulation and developing new and innovative neuromodulation devices.
ENTICe engages the changing dynamics of medical research, in which classic distinctions and barriers between basic science, clinical research, and engineering are blurred and removed, by formally organizing, integrating, coordinating, and supporting the research of scientists, biomedical engineers, clinicians, and others at Emory and its academic partners that are involved in the development and use of neuromodulation technologies for the treatment of neurologic and psychiatric diseases and disorders. The relationship among these groups is of critical importance as medical research and technology becomes more multi-disciplinary.
The collaborative environment at ENTICe allows for a fluid and seamless exchange of ideas and insights and also encourages new collaborations to develop among those researchers who have a shared interest in neuromodulation and neurotechnology and their applications. ENTICe serves as a shared platform for research and translational neuroscience advancements where knowledge, technical assistance, and funds are systematically distributed throughout the program.
Sylvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition: This is a $9.5 million NIH-funded research center at Emory University. The overarching hypothesis of the Conte Center is that oxytocin enhances the salience and reinforcing value of social stimuli by modulating the communication between brain regions that process social information and reward. Projects examine the precise neural mechanisms by which oxytocin influences social cognition in prairie voles, rats, rhesus macaques as well as healthy and autistic human subjects in a highly coordinated manner. A wide array of cutting-edge neuroscience approaches are used by the Conte Center investigators including in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, gene targeting technology, behavioral pharmacology, optogenetics, and fMRI. The Conte Center provides pilot grants to support innovative new projects, which opens many opportunities for graduate students to participate in innovative research in social neuroscience. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, the Center provides a rich intellectual environment that trainees can benefit from through monthly Center meetings and a seminar series.
Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (CND): The CND is comprised of over twenty-five faculty from numerous basic and clinical departments whose laboratories perform cutting edge research using interdisciplinary approaches. The research spans from genetic and environmental factors that cause disease, to development of new and characterization of animal models, to development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, to clinical testing of new treatments in patients. The research laboratories and core facilities are equipped the most advanced technologies in imaging, proteomics, gene expression analysis, viral vectors and gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies and histopathology. Beyond the research, the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease maintains strong partnership with the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center and Emory Healthcare, which has a large and outstanding clinical faculty providing comprehensive care, education and support for affected individuals and their families.
The Mental Health and Development Research Program is under the direction of Elaine Walker whose research focuses on the precursors and neurodevelopmental aspects of psychopathology, especially schizophrenia. The program studies brain development, hormones, and neuropsychological functions that may play a role in risk for and prevention of mental illness. Her program serves as one of nine sites for the North American Prodromal Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) that collaborate on studies of the early indicators of risk for psychotic disorders. Studies of individuals at clinical high risk generate rich datasets that include clinical interviews, neurocognitive testing, psychophysiological testing, social cognition testing, MRI scans, and blood draws for markers that include inflammatory and immune-related biomarkers.
The Translational Research in Affective Disorders (TReAD Lab), run by Dr. Treadway, studies the behavioral and neurobiological determinants of cost/benefit decision-making in healthy individuals, as well as in patients with mental illness. Research in the lab focuses on the neural circuitry that underlies decision-making and how abnormalities in these processes relate to and manifest as core symptoms in affective disorders, like major depressive disorder. In addition to computational approaches using fMRI and behavioral data, the TReAD Lab has a specific interest in how the immune system may impact corticostriatal reward circuits in the brain to lead to motivational symptoms and as such may be an important target for the development of novel anti-inflammatory treatment and prevention strategies.
Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) - The CFAR at Emory University has been an NIH-funded Center for AIDS Research since 1998. Additional funding is provided by the Georgia Research Alliance and multiple units of Emory University including the offices of the President and the University Provost, the Woodruff Health Science Center, the Emory University School of Medicine, the Rollins School of Public Health, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, the Winship Cancer Institute, and the Emory National Primate Research Center. The Emory CFAR's mission is to decrease HIV incidence, improve well-being and, ultimately, find a vaccine and a cure for HIV by fostering and supporting trans-disciplinary research targeting the Southern epidemic as a microcosm of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. CFAR’s goals are to 1) Develop, support, and expand high priority HIV/AIDS research that will prevent new infections, improve the well-being of people with or at risk for HIV, and move toward the discovery of a vaccine and a cure, 2) Translate and disseminate HIV/AIDS research findings, and 3) Identify, train, mentor, and support the next generation of HIV/AIDS researchers and scientific leaders.
The Emory Vaccine Center (EVC) is making fundamental advances in immunology, virology and vaccine research to search for life saving cures against the world's most threatening diseases plaguing millions of individuals around the globe. Comprehensive expertise in scientific, technological, and clinical research distinguishes the EVC as a world leader in the discovery, development and clinical analysis of safe, effective and affordable vaccines. Housed in one of the largest academic centers ever created to investigate new vaccine strategies, the 75,000-square-foot EVC fosters a deeper understanding of the complexities of infectious diseases, cancer biology and vaccine development. Dr. Rafi Ahmed, an internationally renowned scientist in viral pathogenesis and immunity and one of the world's leading experts on T-cell memory, leads the Center. Dr. Ahmed has been instrumental in shaping EVC's research agenda that encompasses a continuum of basic, clinical and translational science. The Center's Affiliation with Emory's Emory National Primate Research Center also supports research at the forefront of immunology strategy and vaccine development. Long recognized as one of the leading centers for biomedical and biobehavioral research with non-human primates, it is home to a broad range of molecular and cellular research. The Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center serves as the clinical arm, directing all current on-site clinical vaccine trials. As one of eight participating national sites in the NIAID's prestigious Vaccine Trials Evaluation Units (VTEUs), the Clinic plays a vital role in advancing the most promising pre-clinical vaccine research into human clinical trials.
The Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center (ECBDC) is a nationally recognized academic high throughput screening center involved in local, national and international drug discovery programs. ECBDC was created in 2003 to enhance Emory’s capabilities in small molecule drug discovery and development. It subsequently became a node of the NIH Molecular Libraries Screening Centers Network (MLSCN) and now, a member of the National Cancer Institute's Chemical Biology Consortium (NCI CBC). Through operations with both the national NIH MLSCN/NCI CBC and Emory projects, the center has built a powerful infrastructure for high-throughput small molecule screening and subsequent hit optimization via medicinal chemistry. The ECBDC offers state-of-the-art high throughput screening (HTS) and imaging-based high content screening (HCS) capabilities with multiple integrated robotic systems and has access to a collection of small molecule compound libraries and a siRNA library. These capabilities are complemented by our expertise in assay development, HTS, HCS, screen informatics and cheminformatics, and in medicinal chemistry. The ECBDC provides a general platform for high-throughput biology in the post-genomics age which functions as a training ground for the next generation of chemical biologists and drug discovery scientists. The ECBDC offers state-of-the-art enabling technologies:
- to bridge the gap between conventional approaches and high-density biology
- to harness the power of chemistry to advance our understanding of biology and disease
- to accelerate drug discovery and translational medicine
- to facilitate intra- and inter-institutional collaborations and academia-industry partnership
Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences: The department is an innovative global leader in discovery, training, and clinical care of psychiatric patients. The department has interdisciplinary programs that span the entirety of the human life cycle, from work with neonatal children to the care of geriatric patients. The program provides comprehensive psychiatric services for all of Emory Healthcare Systems, Inc., as well as our affiliate hospitals: Grady Healthcare and the Atlanta VA Medical Center and is one of the top federally funded departments of psychiatry in the country, having extensive research expertise across a wide spectrum of psychiatric inquiry. The program is internationally known for research in prenatal exposures, stress neurobiology and the pathogenesis and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. The department provides a variety of different types of training experiences for undergraduate students, medical students, pre- and postdoctoral graduate students, psychiatric residents and fellows in a variety of psychiatry subspecialties.
Emory Department of Psychology: The department promotes an evidence-based approach to psychology through its research and through its undergraduate and graduate education. Recognizing the richness of psychological phenomena, the department houses a complementary mix of approaches in an atmosphere that facilitates collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Research in the department is wide-ranging, including work with both humans and nonhuman animals, encompassing areas such as cognition, memory, learning, social behavior, and the biological bases of these capacities. There is also work on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology. Methodologies include behavioral experiments, questionnaire studies, and observational studies, as well as brain imaging, electrophysiological studies, hormonal assays, and genetics.
Emory Department of Biomedical Informatics: The department works at the intersection of data science and integrative biomedical research to advance healthcare. The department is a catalyst for creative, multidisciplinary projects in data science and integrative biomedical research. The faculty’s work ranges from imaging and neuroscience to applied machine learning and mHealth. Research in the department is funded from federal institutes like the NIH and NSF, foundation, and industry giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. As part of a $10M commitment from the university and the school of Medicine, the Department of Biomedical Informatics recently relocated to a newly renovated space on the 4th floor of the Woodruff Memorial Building in 2017. This space is adjacent to the Emory University Hospital and this new location will offer students and trainees unprecedented access to senior researchers across campus in support of translational bioinformatics and clinical research bioinformatics research.
Research Training Resources
GA CTSA – Research Education Resources The Research Education program focuses on long-term didactic and mentored clinical and translational research training through a variety of initiatives. The program provides clinical and translational research training opportunities including:
the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) degree - The Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) degree is designed for predoctoral trainees (medical students, PhD students, PharmD students), postdoctoral trainees (physician and PhD postdocs and PharmD residents), and junior faculty (MD, PhD, or PharmD) at Emory University (Emory), Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Pharmacy who have a commitment to a career in clinical and/or translational research. Postdoctoral trainees from Emory (resident or fellow physicians, PhD postdocs) may apply through the Georgia CTSA TL1 Core program. The MSCR didactic course curriculum is expected to be completed within one year and over a 1-2 year period for trainees supported by T-level or F-level training grants. The MSCR degree process includes a mentored research project that is should be completed within 2 years of entering the program.
TL1 for predoctoral (PhD, MD, and PharmD students) and postdoctoral (residents/clinical fellows) - The Georgia CTSA TL1 Program provides outstanding opportunities for clinical and translational research (CTR) training for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees at the Georgia CTSA partner institutions: Emory University (Emory), Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), and University of Georgia (UGA) College of Pharmacy. The program is focused on providing didactic and mentored research training for trainees interested in a career focused on clinical and/or translational research relevant to human health. Personalized training is established for all TL1 trainees to provide flexibility and an individualized approach to didactic and mentored research training. The personalized training plan is constructed by the TL1 trainee in collaboration with their lead mentor, co-mentors, and TL1 program leadership. The pathway will begin with the trainee selecting either the MSCR, a one to two year 30-credit master’s degree thesis program, or the Certificate Program in Translational Research, a 16-credit program. The two programs share several formal didactic courses and required rotations. For most TL1 trainees the MSCR program is recommended.
Certificate Program in Translational Research (CPTR) - The Certificate Program in Translational Research (CPTR) is a formal 16-credit Emory Laney Graduate School program for trainees who seek to conduct research at the interface between basic and translational science and clinical medicine. Despite the explosive growth in biomedical knowledge, it has been increasingly difficult to translate this knowledge and discovery into applications for the treatment of disease and to benefit human health by addressing gaps between biology and medicine and promoting multidisciplinary team science. CPTR trainees may elect to take the course work over a single year or spread the work over two years.
T32s – Emory University has a total of 22 active T32 grants, 16 of which support competitive postdoctoral research positions. The program directors oversee the selection of trainees and selection of an appropriate research mentor, as well as the provision of appropriate background, technical training, and ongoing research supervision by the mentors. Postdoctoral trainees select a mentor with whom they develop a research proposal, conduct the research, and participate in the ongoing research projects of the mentor. Funded T32’s with relevance to this R25 submission include:
- Training in Translational Research in Neurology (PI Allan Levey)
- Training in Systems and Integrative Biology – Neuroscience (PI Yoland Smith)
- Multidisciplinary Research Training to Reduce Inequities in Cardiovascular Health (PI Viola Vaccarino)
K Club The K-Club is an educational forum providing support and advice to young investigators on obtaining research career development awards. These monthly lunchtime seminars routinely use a facilitated panel discussion format to educate in a practical, engaging, and interactive manner. Even though topics are recycled over time, different panelist perspectives ensure new ideas and approaches are shared. Typical attendance includes, on average, 75 junior faculty, fellows, and other interested research staff. Topics pertaining to the conception, development, submission, and post-award process related to career development awards are addressed. K-Club is sponsored by the Emory+Children's Pediatric Research Center, the Center for AIDS Research, Georgia CTSA, and Emory University Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine.
Researcher Survival Skills is a new workshop series is designed to provide researchers with the skills they need to succeed in academic medicine. Traditional skills like manuscript and grant writing will be discussed, as well as addressing lab/research team management, people skills, navigating research administration, and other topics not covered in professional school. It is suggested to consider this series as a curriculum where each session builds on previous ones, but faculty are also welcomed to attended individual sessions as well.
Clinical Research Bootcamp started in 2014 as a full-day workshop is designed to provide faculty with a comprehensive overview of the major components involved in clinical research. There are now three bootcamp levels, 101, 201 and 301, each digging deeper into clinical research.
CRB 101 - a case-based bootcamp with short lectures preceded by a brief case presentation highlighting specific questions. Participants will be introduced to the clinical research resources at Emory and learn about the development of sound research protocols, maintaining compliance and high ethical standards, and the successful planning of a productive research career.
CRB 201 delves deeper into the topics presented in the 101 course and includes small group workshops for more interactive discussions on study design, statistics, preparing for a poster presentation, and data
CRB 301 rounds out the series with a full day statistics workshop. Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to 1) Describe basic statistical concepts, 2) Import datasets from Excel into the R statistical software package, 3) Choose and perform basic tests for comparing continuous variables and proportions [e.g., t-test, chi square, Fisher exact test, etc.], and 4) List resources at Emory for biostatistical assistance and prepare datasets for smoother interfacing with those resources.
Academic and Grant Writing Support:
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Writing Group meets the 1st Wednesday of every month. Additionally, the Writing Group supports a blog called ‘Overcoming Academic Writer’s Block’ which provides tips, advice and support for academic writers.
The Georgia CTSA offers grant writing consultation through the “Grant Wise” service. This service offers the opportunity for one-on-one feedback from experienced senior faculty on grant writing.
Grant strategy and writing programs are offered through a School of Medicine Office of Postdoctoral Education organized “K Tutorial,” a 6 hour course designed to provide in-depth information and targeted grant writing assistance to faculty preparing NIH K applications.
The Emory University Center for Faculty Development and Excellence organizes a faculty writing group called “The Writing Room” that is tailored to a small group of participants and designed to meet their specific needs and preferences. The Center for Faculty Development and Excellence serves as scheduler and convener of this group and facilitates the planning and communication of the current cohort of participants.
The Emory School of Medicine Office of Faculty Development offers a “Peer-Mentoring Manuscript Development Initiative,” connecting junior faculty ready to publish with experienced faculty who can provide the needed guidance and mentoring.
The Laney Graduate School at Emory University organizes the “Grant Writing Program” that addresses every stage of grant proposal writing inducing developing fundable project ideas, presenting projects in persuasive ways and tailoring proposals to specific funders. The program is designed so that you can participate in a series of forums and workshops that build on one another and help you to develop your proposal and dissertation project. Workshops and informational sessions are offered throughout the year.
The Woodruff Health Sciences Library subscribes to Nature Masterclasses, an online scientific writing course. The masterclass consists of 15 course modules, varying in length from 30 to 75 minutes each, covering the entire scientific publishing process, from planning a paper to getting it published. The modules are taught by editors from the Nature journals and cover topics ranging from "Elements of Writing Style" to "Selecting a Journal for Publication" to "Measuring Impact."
Core Facilities
Georgia Core Facilities Partnership - Emory University is a member of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and all eight member universities of the GRA have entered into The Georgia Core Facilities Partnership. This Partnership allows Emory investigators to use core facilities at other institutions at the internal rates set by each institution. Participating universities with a representative listing of core facilities is below:
Augusta University (Cell Imaging, Chemical and Biomolecular Analysis, GCC Flow Cytometry, GCC Integrated Genomics, GCC Immune Monitoring, GCC Proteomics Metabolomics; GCC Bioinformatics, and more)
Clark Atlanta University (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry)
Mercer University (Drug Design/Molecular Modeling, Flow Cytometry, Confocal Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, Immunohistochemistry, and more)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Biomechanics, Biomolecular Analysis, Cellular Analysis and Cytometry, Genome Analysis, High Throughput DNA sequencing, Histology, Molecular Evolution, Neuro Design Suite, Optical Microscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, and more)
Morehouse School of Medicine (Analytical Chemistry/Proteomics, Biomedical Technology Service, Confocal Image Analysis, Functional Genomics, Microvesicle, Molecular Histology, and more)
Georgia State University (Imaging, Mass Spectrometry, NMR, Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Transgenic and Gene Targeting, and more)
University of Georgia (Animal Health Research, Bioimaging, Biomedical Microscopy, Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center Analytical Service, Center for Applied Isotope Studies, Comparative Pathology, Advanced Computing, Genomical and Bioinformatics, Integrated Bioscience and Nanotechnology Cleanroom, Statistical Consulting Center, Center for Drug Discovery, and more)
Emory University (see below)
The Emory Integrated Core Facilities (EICF) provide a number of facilities for use by all investigators in the state of Georgia. Specific core services include cellular imaging and systems imaging, biostatistics and bioinformatics, electron microscopy, a personalized immunotherapy center, flow cytometry, genomics, proteomics, transgenic mouse and gene targeting, and rodent behavioral characterization. A more detailed description of a subset of available core facilities is below:
The Emory Biostatistics Collaboration Core (BCC) provides state-of-the-art statistical and bioinformatics analysis. Our mission is to collaborate with investigators to choose appropriate study design for quantitative analysis and to assure appropriate implementation of statistical methodology in research. BCC personnel are available for discussion at all stages of research, including: preparation of grants and contracts, database design and management; data mining and analysis of large, administrative datasets; bioinformatics needs; assistance in analyzing and presenting research data; and statistical review of manuscripts in the publication process. The BCC has access to a broad range of computer hardware and software and personnel with expertise in using major statistical, graphics, and data management packages. BCC is subsidized by the Emory University School of Medicine with is one of the Emory Integrated Core Facilities. Additional support is provided by the Georgia CTSA under Award Number UL1TR002378.
The Center for Systems Imaging Core (CSIC) is a cross-disciplinary scientific, administrative, and educational home for imaging science at Emory University. The center is housed in a 17,000 square foot newly-renovated facility on the 2nd floor of the Wesley Woods Health Center Building. CSIC provides core services for human and animal imaging studies. CSIC provides core services for human and animal imaging studies. The major imaging equipment housed at CSI includes a cyclotron/Radiochemistry lab, a 3T MRI system, a HRRT human brain PET system, an Inveon micro PET-CT system, and a multispectral fluorescence animal imaging system.
The Emory Flow Cytometry Core (EFCC) is a full-service flow cytometry facility offering Emory researchers the ability to use the latest sorters and analyzers in their research. The EFCC provides state-of-the-art high-speed sorting, sample analysis and analyzer training facilities. Mission priority #1 is to provide the highest customer satisfaction to our clients. This Flow Cytometry Core Facility provides quantitative flow cytometric analyses on samples from a wide variety of biological matrices, e.g. blood, bone marrow, spleen, serum, plasma, solid tissues, cell extracts, etc., to support both clinical and basic research efforts on the campus and the surrounding area. The EFCC is located in the Dental Building at 1462 Clifton Rd., N.E. and has roughly 1000 sq. ft. of space divided into two laboratories. Support in the form of training, technical assistance, troubleshooting and consultation are given to various laboratories that independently own cytometers on campus. Facility hardware: All instruments have been configured with 5 lasers and 17 detectors. The laser wavelengths are 355nm (UV), 407nm (violet), 488nm (blue), 561nm (yellow-green), 633nm (red). Analyzer: LSR II (Location: Dental School, Room 440A). Sorters: FACSAria IIA (Location: Dental School, room 441), FACSAria IIB (Location: Dental School, room 441). The LSR II and FACSAria II are manufactured by Becton Dickinson. Our sorters have capabilities of sorting up to 4 populations at one time and of single-cell deposition sorting, and all sorts are treated with great care in regards to aseptic techniques, accuracy in post-sort recovery and high-purity (>98%).
HPLC Bioanalytical Core Facility: The HPLC Bioanalytical Core provides HPLC-based services to identify spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale CA) which is a UV/Vis variable wavelength microtiter plate reader with Softmax Pro software used for performing colorimetric spectrophotometrical protein assays, and Branson sonifier 450 which is used for tissue homogenization. Also available are a Millipore Water system, centrifuges, sonicator, pH meters, balances, oven, refrigerators, hot plates, stirrers, -70°C freezers, and other standard equipment.
Emory Integrated Genomics Core (EIGC) is located in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified (CLIA ID:11D1086150) laboratory located on the 7th floor of the Woodruff Memorial Research Building, with 2400 square feet of dedicated wet-lab space. The EIGC’s laboratory areas include dedicated pre- and post-PCR spaces. Two chemical fume hoods are also located within the space. EIGC provides a number of valuable core facilities for use by all investigators that include integrated cellular, and biomedical systems imaging, biostatistics and bioinformatics, electron microscopy, a personalized immunotherapy center, flow cytometry, genomics, proteomics, transgenic mouse and gene targeting, and rodent behavioral characterization. The EIGC consists of three divisions, which each provide unique services to Emory clinical and basic researchers. The central mission of the EIGC is to provide a top-tier genomics resource that is widely available to the Emory research community and that integrates cutting-edge genomics technologies with downstream analyses. The EIGC’s CLIA Division provides nucleic acid isolation services and support for clinical trials research using genomics technologies that need to be conducted in a CLIA certified environment and quantify monoamine neurotransmitters, amino acid neurotransmitters, purine bases, and nucleotides from a variety of biological samples. EBHC also provides customized HPLC method development services to meet specific requirements of the researchers. There are three HPLC systems, which include two ESA CoulArray detection systems and one Waters HPLC system. Each of the ESA 5600A CoulArray detection systems are equipped with ESA model 584 pump, PEEK Pulse damper, ESA 542 refrigerated autosampler injector, temperature controller, model 5020 guard cell, and model 6210 coulometric array cell. The system is controlled and chromatograms are analyzed by a Dell personal computer using the ESA CoulArray V3.10 software. The Waters HPLC system consisting of model 717-plus autosampler, model 1525 binary pump, model 2996 photodiode array detector, fraction collector and 2465 electrochemical detector. The system is controlled and chromatograms are analyzed by Empower 2.0 software. The Core also has access to additional equipment for sample preparation including a SpectraMax M5e with CLIA validated protocols. The EIGC’s Research Division provides a wide variety of genomics services which include microarray-based gene expression and genotyping, targeted enrichment, structural variant characterization, single cell characterization, microbiome services, epigenetics services, and next-generation oligonucleotide sequencing. The EIGC has adopted an innovative business model whereby large-scale next-generation sequencing is outsourced to other academic and commercial entities, with the ultimate goal of obtaining the lowest cost, highest quality, and fastest turn-around for our customers. The EIGC’s Custom Cloning Division offers custom cloning services for Emory investigators in support of functional genomics applications. The EIGC infrastructure and services include:
DNA/RNA Extraction, Genotyping, and Gene Expression: Illumina HiScan Reader; nanoString nCounter Technology; Bionano Saphyr; 10X Genomics Chromium Controller; 1CellBio InDrop System; Invitrogen Countess; Fluidigm AccessArray; Two Magnetic Particle Processors. One Kingfisher Flex and one MagMax; Tecan EVO150; Beckman Biomek NX Automation Workstation; Beckman SPRI-TE robot; Tecan Infinite M200 Pro; Agilent Fragment Analyzer (48/96 wells); Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer; Agilent 2200 TapeStation; Eight Thermal Cyclers; Applied Biosystems 3130; Applied Biosystems 7900HT; Covaris E210 Adaptive Focusing Instrument
Non-instrument computers - There are currently one MacPro tower, two MacBook Pros, two iMacs, three Dell Precision Workstations with 64-BIT OS, and five Dell PCs.
Next Generation Sequencing: One Illumina MiSeq instrument; One Illumina NextSeq 550 instrument;
Large-Scale Next Generation Sequencing. The EIGC has adopted an innovative business model whereby large-scale next-generation sequencing is outsourced to other academic and commercial entities, with the ultimate goal of obtaining the lowest cost, highest quality, and fastest turn-around for our customers. Academic partners include the Genomic Services Laboratory at HudsonAlpha and genomics core facilities at the University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, and New York University. Commercial companies include: NovaSeq, Akesogen, Otogenetics, and BGI. We have the flexibility to pursue sequencing projects with any outside provider that provides competitive pricing, rapid turn-around time, and high-quality data. In effect, the EIGC acts as a sequencing service broker, whereby we compete companies against each other to obtain the best pricing and service for Emory investigators.
The Emory Integrated Microbiome Core Facilities is a resource that synergies the skills of three core facilities, namely The Emory Gnotobiotic Animal Core (EGAC), The Emory Integrated Genomics Core (EIGC), and The Emory Integrated Computational Core (EICC). Workflows have been optimized between the three cores to form a pipeline whereby gnotobiotic studies are undertaken within the EGAC, sequencing of microbiome 16S rDNA from gnotobiotic studies undertaken by the EIGC, followed by expert analysis of the generated sequence data and characterization of the microbial alpha and beta diversities undertaken by the EICC. The Emory Gnotobiotic Animal Core (EGAC) is located in the newly constructed five-story, 200,000-square-foot Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB), situated in rooms next to the Specific Pathogen Free (MPF) murine housing, as well as the Transgenic Mouse and Gene Targeting Core. The facility contains sixteen 3’ foot wide rigid isolators (Parkbio), each with the capacity to house 12 mice cages each. Class II biological cabinets are available to investigators for experimental use. In addition, the facility has a Tecniplast ISOcageP Bioexclusion system. These are airtight individual mouse cages with high positive pressure that are specifically designed for cage-scale germ-free, gnotobiotic and bioexclusion studies.
Emory Integrated Proteomics Core (EIPC) provides a number of valuable core facilities for use by all investigators that include integrated cellular, and biomedical systems imaging, biostatistics and bioinformatics, electron microscopy, a personalized immunotherapy center, flow cytometry, genomics, proteomics, transgenic mouse and gene targeting, and rodent behavioral characterization. EIPC is currently directed by Dr. Nicholas T. Seyfried provides protein analytical services by cutting-edge mass spectrometry (MS). There is a Q-Exactive and a Q Exactive HF-X hybrid mass spectrometers, two Orbitrap Fusion and a Fusion Lumos mass spectrometers, and a TSQ Altis triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer (see major equipment). Each instrument is coupled with an autosampler and HPLC system. The system allows automated capillary LC-MS/MS runs for top-down, middle-down and bottom-up analyses with high resolution. These mass spectrometers are capable of detecting peptides at subfemtomolar level, identifying hundreds to thousands of proteins in complex mixtures, mapping posttranslational modification sites, and quantifying proteins based on label-free methods or different labeling strategies (e.g. TMT, iTRAQ and SILAC). The nanoACQUITY UltraPerformance LC System is designed for nano-scale, capillary, and narrow-bore separations to attain the highest chromatographic resolution, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Both qualitative and quantitative projects benefit from the added pressure capacity (up to 10,000 psi): sensitivity is increased several folds with the use of sub-2 µm chromatographic resins and retention time reproducibility enables label-free quantitative approaches. The core has also established the Electrostatic repulsion hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC) that utilizes both hydrophilic interaction and electrostatic forces on an Agilent 1100 HPLC. The computational platform is capable of performing sophisticated data analyses, including database search (i.e. matching MS/MS spectra to peptide sequences), data filtering (i.e. removing false positive matches), statistical inference, as well as data storage, presentation and distribution. Numerous computational tools have also been developed for high throughput data processing.
The Emory Integrated Rodent Behavioral Core (RBC) provides planning, execution, and analysis of behavioral experiments examining activity, arousal, coordinated movement, learning and memory, anxiety, depression, seizure susceptibility, reward/reinforcement, and aggression in mice and rats. Additional tests can potentially be developed on a case-by-case basis. The Behavioral Core also offers several rodent surgical services and assistance in IACUC protocol preparation. Directed by Jason Schroeder, Ph.D. and David Weinshenker, Ph.D., the Core is located in the vivarium of the Whitehead Biomedical Research Building. The animal facility has dedicated approximately 1300 sq. ft. of space for this core, which includes four mouse and/or rat testing rooms, and isolated cubicles for particularly sensitive tests. At present, the following items and tests have been developed and validated by the Core and/or the Weinshenker lab: Locomotor activity; Arousal and attention; Coordinated movement; Learning and memory; Anxiety/Stress; Depression; Seizure susceptibility; Reward/Reinforcement; Aggression; Sensorimotor Gating
The Lowance Center: Lowance Immune Profiling Program (LIP2) – The LIP2 program conducts cutting edge translational and mechanistic studies while providing essential core services to multiple investigators in the Lowance Center, Division of Rheumatology, the Emory Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, and from other institutions around the world. LIP2 also provides collaborative support for NIH-funded research centers and networks including the Immune Tolerance Network. LIP2, led by Christopher Tipton, PhD, offers the following services and capabilities:
High-resolution, multi-color flow cytometry and cell sorting of distinct B cell populations
Full length heavy and light chain IGH sequencing of bulk sorted or unsorted B cells including full bias control, PCR artifact control, and quantitative information via molecular barcodes and synthetic library spike-ins
Single cell sorting and cloning of matched heavy and light chains.
High-throughout, emulsion-based heavy and light chain pairing for synthetic reproduction of antibodies and subsequent binding and reactivity testing
Expert analysis of large repertoire data sets using a specialized pipeline developed specifically for study of clonal dynamics between B cell populations
Access to an extensive library of comparison control data, including longitudinal, subsetted B cell samples from healthy, vaccinated, and diseased individuals.
Collaborating Institutions:
Georgia State University (GSU) - Georgia State University strives to be a leader in cross-disciplinary research with life-changing impact. GSU faculty are expanding scientific knowledge, developing innovative technologies and tackling global challenges in health, sustainability, data science, cybersecurity and more. Georgia State is one of the nation’s premier urban public research universities. The university ranks among the top 115 public and private universities in the Carnegie Foundation’s elite category of R1: Highest Research Activity. This category represents the highest level of research activity for doctorate-granting universities in the U.S. In the past decade, Georgia State has been distinguished by the tremendous expansion of its research program. Total research expenditures have exceeded $200 million for the past two consecutive years, as reported in the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey, a nationally recognized barometer of university research activity. From fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2018, research expenditures at Georgia State have shot up by more than 153 percent. That is the third-largest increase in research expenditures among those institutions with more than $100 million in expenditures in fiscal year 2018, making Georgia State one of the fastest-growing research institutions in the nation. For the past three years, the university has been the highest-ranked institution without an engineering, medical or agricultural school. Georgia State has also significantly increased its research award funding over the past several years. Total annual research awards of $128.1 million were received in fiscal year 2019, the fifth year in a row the university has earned more than $100 million in external investment.
As a member of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and the Georgia CTSA, Emory University and GSU share access to Core facilities and collaborate across research programs and centers.
Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center) Advanced imaging technology has provided scientists with unprecedented access to the living brain. The Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) is a collaboration among Georgia State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, and is focused on making better use of complex brain imaging data through improved analysis, with a goal of identifying biomarkers that can help address brain health and disease. TReNDS draws upon engineering and computer science principles to develop new algorithms to extract the maximal information possible from the available data, drawing upon signal and image processing, machine/deep learning and statistical signal processing. Its goal is to translate these approaches into biomarkers that can help address relevant areas of brain health and disease. The center is also focused on increasing cooperation among Atlanta brain imaging researchers by developing collaborative tools to help make data capture, management, analysis and sharing easier. Large-scale data sharing and multimodal data fusion techniques are the underpinnings of its approach. The TReNDS Center utilizes the imaging and computing capabilities at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging. This facility, a joint effort between Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology, is a dedicated research imaging center that houses a 3-Tesla Siemens Prisma-Fit Magnetic Resonance Imaging system. The TReNDS Center has the following software available: Group ICA Toolbox (GIFT and EEGIFT); Fusion ICA Toolbox (FIT); Functional Network Connectivity (FNC); Group Inter-participant Correlation (GIPC); Laterality User Interface (LUI); Square-root Cubature Kalman Filter (SCKS); fMRI Simulation Toolbox (SimTB); Wavelet Denoising Toolbox (WaveIDiot); MANCOVAN Toolbox (MANCOVAN); Polyssifier; Pl2mind; 4D FFT toolbox; sMRI Simulator; SIMEEG; IRVI; Cortex; MeshNet; Average Sliding Window; Catalyst Neuro.
The TReNDS Center utilizes the imaging and computing capabilities at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging. This facility, a joint effort between Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology, is a dedicated research imaging center that houses a 3-Tesla Siemens Prisma-Fit Magnetic Resonance Imaging system. The Center for Advanced Brain Imaging is a 6000 square foot facility dedicated to understanding brain function. The center is located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. A list of available equipment is below:
Scanner - The center houses a Siemens Prisma-Fit 3T MRI equipped with 20 & 32 channel head-coils for rapid parallel imaging of the brain. A MRI compatiblewheelchair is available for transport. Wireless cardiac and respiration monitors allow physiological artifact correction. Entry to the scanner requires passing through a FerrAlert Halo Traditional metal detectors are triggered by non-ferrous metals such as titanium implants. In contrast, this system specifically detects ferromagnetic material that could interact with the magnetic field. This reduces the chance of false-alarms, and also allows a sensitivity level that would be unsuitable for a conventional metal detector. We have a PST MRI simulator that allows us to acclimatize participants to the confined and loud environment of the MRI scanner. This mock scanner is useful for training children to be comfortable in the scanner and allows individuals to practice behavioral tasks.
Scanner-compatible Experiment Hardware (The Avotec Silent Vision 6060is a computer projector. Because it is MRI compatible, it is mounted inside the scanner hall, and does not require a wave guide; The Avotec Silent Scan 3100 stereo air-conduction headphones allow for audio stimulus delivery as well as participant communication; The SR Research EyeLink 1000 Plus eyetracker allows us to track eye movements while participants are inside the scanner; Our PST fiber optic response gloves allow participants to make responses during scanning. Button presses are recorded using a USB output; The Current Designs fORP response system allows participants to make button presses or use a trackball while in the scanner. These communicate with a computer using USB; Computing Resources; We have a state-of-the-art Linux cluster running Sun Grid Engine. Users can sit down at any workstation and harness the power of the entire cluster. We have a computer server with RAID backup for hosting data and ensuring data integrity.
Data analysis software (MRIcro, MRIcron, MRIcroGL, NPM, dcm2niixTools for image viewing and format conversion; FSL a complete toolkit for analyzing functional and structural MRI data; AFNI includes robust tools for structural and functional imaging; SPM a complete toolkit for analyzing functional and structural MRI data; BrainVoyager Tools for fMRI analysis; MedINRIA Excellent tools for DTI and general viewing)
Experiment presentation software (E-Prime; PsychoPy; psychtoolbox – MATLAB; DirectRT)
EEG System - 32 Channel System; CorTech
Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) - tDCS can be delivered using an ActivaDose system. Maximum Voltage: 80 volts. Maximum Current: 4 mA
Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases (CNCD) at Georgia State University - Neuroinflammation is a complex and elaborate process that can be triggered by toxins, infections, trauma and even states of enhanced neuronal activity. It is recognized as a common factor in a wide range of serious health conditions, including cardiometabolic diseases (such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes), neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia) and mood disorders (such as depression). However, the precise mechanisms underlying the neuroinflammatory response, and whether and how neuroinflammation may contribute to these various disorders, remains largely unknown. The Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases aims to be at the forefront of research in this area, improving understanding of these diseases and placing a strong emphasis on translating laboratory findings into clinical tools. Due to Georgia State’s strengths in neuroscience, immunology, inflammation and medicinal chemistry, the center is well-positioned to foster collaboration among researchers within the institution as well as the larger scientific community.
Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) GA Tech consistently ranks among the top U.S. universities in the volume of research conducted, and in 2019, GA Tech attracted more than $1 billion to help address critical challenges in computing, engineering, design, the sciences, liberal arts, and business. Ranked fifth among U.S. public universities by U.S. News & World Report and with all graduate engineering programs ranked among the top ten in the nation, Georgia Tech attracts top faculty, researchers, and students to develop the next big ideas in areas such as enterprise-level artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, quantum systems and hypersonic technologies. As a member of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and the Georgia CTSA, Emory University and GSU share access to Core facilities and collaborate across research programs and centers. In addition, Emory University and GA Tech share departments (eg Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering) across the universities.
The Atlanta Center for Microsystems Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies (ACME-POCT) is focused on the development and translation of microsystems-engineered technologies including microchip-enabled devices including microelectromechanical systems (MEMs)-based sensors, microfluidics, and smartphone-based systems. The ACME-POCT uniquely leverages Atlanta’s nationally top-ranked clinical programs at Emory University’s hospitals and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the nation’s largest pediatric hospital systems, as well the internationally acclaimed microsystems engineering expertise at Georgia Tech, which includes the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN), and other one-of-a-kind medical device prototyping, innovation, and testbed facilities. The ACME-POCT PIs uniquely balance the engineering and clinical sides of the Center and comprise Wilbur A. Lam, MD, PhD, a clinical hematologist at Emory and Georgia Tech bioengineer with expertise in POC diagnostic development and commercialization, Oliver Brand, PhD, a renowned microsystems engineer and head of Georgia Tech’s IEN, and Greg Martin, MD, MSc, a clinical pulmonologist at Emory and head of clinical research in Atlanta’s NIH-funded CTSA. Together the ACME-POCT PIs are poised to utilize their unique expertise and networks to accelerate translation of microsystems engineered point-of-care technologies.
Ongoing Center Research
Launching of the “Lab-on-Patient” Initiative
Establishment of Microsystems and Cellular Diagnostics Clinical Laboratory
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering is a unique partnership and a spectacular success story. The department is dedicated to improving health and well-being by fostering the next generation of leaders in biomedical engineering worldwide. This growth of the department has been organic and builds on a strong foundation of successful research and educational programs. There are two compelling factors driving this growth – first, there remain unmet clinical needs – like tackling debilitating conditions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and immune disorders. Second, biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory attracts some of the brightest undergraduate and graduate students, from Georgia and every corner of the world.
The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience opened its doors in 1995 and since that time it has served as a catalyst for innovative bioengineering and bioscience research. Located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, the Petit Institute offers a bold variety of both traditional and cutting-edge medical research. The Petit Institute has revolutionized the term "interdisciplinary research," and the institute has become an incubator for research teams to tackle complex medical research problems using an interdisciplinary approach. It has grown to include more than 200 faculty members from a wide variety of disciplines, which has played a vital role in the success of the institute and its culture.
From its "research neighborhoods" to the open atrium and even the building's artwork, the Petit Institute was built from the ground up to foster an environment where innovative research emerges from the joint activities of bioengineering and bioscience faculty from more than eight different departments. The Petit Institute serves as the headquarters for the following centers: Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium; Center for Bio-Imaging Mass Spectrometry; Center for Drug Design Development and Delivery (CD4); Center for ImmunoEngineering; Center for Integrative Genomics (CIG); Center for Nanobiology of the Macromolecular Assembly Disorders (NanoMAD); Center for Pharmaceutical Development (CPD); Emergent Behavior of Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS); Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing (MC3M); Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines; Neural Engineering Center, and many others.
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) - Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), located in Atlanta, Ga., was founded in 1975 as the Medical Education Program at Morehouse College, one of the nation’s historically black institutions. In 1981, MSM became an independently chartered institution. MSM is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians and was recently recognized as the top institution among U.S. medical schools for their social mission. The mission of the Morehouse School of Medicine is to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities; increase the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce, and address primary healthcare needs through programs in education, research, and service. Emphasis is placed on people of color and the underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia, the nation, and the world. MSM has seven residency programs: Family Medicine (1981), Preventive Medicine (1986), Internal Medicine (1991), Psychiatry (1991), Surgery (1993), Obstetrics and Gynecology (1997) and Pediatrics (2000). The majority of MSM patient care and clinical training occurs at Grady Memorial Hospital, one of the largest public hospitals in the Southeast. Over the past five years, 67 percent of resident graduates have elected to stay and practice in Georgia. MSM employs more than 250 full- and part-time faculty members, many of whom are internationally recognized in their field. MSM is home to world-renowned centers and institutes: The Cardiovascular Research Institute; The Center of Excellence on Health Disparities; The National Center for Primary Care; The Neuroscience Institute (NI); Prevention Research Center (PRC); Research Core Facility and The Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI). MSM’s research stature and reputation have grown exponentially over the last decade, fueled in large part by significant investments in our research infrastructure with funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Georgia Cancer Coalition and others. Along with Emory, MSM is a member of the Georgia CTSA and the Georgia Research Alliance, allowing for close collaboration between faculty at the two institutes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats and responds when these arise. Emory is adjacent to the CDC and is a long-time partner in global and national prevention and research initiatives. Emory medical faculty are research collaborators with CDC scientists and serve on CDC-led advisory committees. Former longtime CDC leaders have joined Emory in key leadership positions in medicine and public health. Emory has received more than $180 million in CDC research funding over the past 10 years for infectious disease and prevention research. Emory’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit, which successfully treated four patients with Ebola virus disease in 2014, was built in 2003 in collaboration with CDC to treat CDC personnel infected in the field.
American Cancer Society: Atlanta is home to the American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. The American Cancer Society conducts and funds research focused on cancer prevention, cancer epidemiology, and behavioral factors that are associated with cancer risk, survival, and quality of life. Numerous Emory researchers have received grant funded from the American Cancer Society, including two postdoctoral fellowships.
The Mental Health Program at the Carter Center: The Carter Center’s Mental Health Program, led by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, promotes awareness about mental health issues, informs public policy, and works to achieve equity and reduce stigma and discrimination towards those with mental illnesses. These initiatives are focused locally in Georgia as well as on a National and International scale. The Center holds an annual Georgia Mental Health Forum (ongoing for 25 years) where providers, policymakers, advocates, and consumers from across the State participate in discussion about progress toward achieving equity in mental health. The Center also leads a Mental Health Task Force and National Advisory Council, on which multiple Emory mental health researchers sit. The annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy highlights areas in which the United States can improve upon mental health care.
Affiliated Hospitals
Emory benefits from a close working relationship, and Emory clinicians provide the majority of the care at:
- The Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA)
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s, CHOA)
- Grady Memorial Hospital (Grady)
Atlanta Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center - Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 466 hospital beds, including 273 medical/surgical beds, 120 community living center beds, a 61-bed domiciliary, and 12 psychosocial residential rehabilitation beds. Annual patient totals: 8,361 admissions and 1,949,505 outpatient service visits. Staffed by 328 Emory physicians, providing the majority of patient care.
Grady Memorial Hospital is one of the largest public health systems in the United States, is a 971-bed facility and the only level 1 trauma center within 100 miles of Atlanta. Grady has over 130,000 patients visit the hospital's emergency room each year and nearly 28,000 hospital admissions. Grady memorial hospital is easily accessible to Atlanta's large African American community, and 90% of the patients are African Americans. Grady is an internationally recognized teaching hospital staffed exclusively by doctors from Emory University and Morehouse schools of medicine. In addition to the full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient neurology services, including an inpatient ward and consultation service; outpatient clinics; and neurophysiology services, including continuous EEG monitoring, specialty neurology clinics at Grady include:
Grady Behavioral Health Services Grady potentially offers the most comprehensive array of Behavioral Health services in the nation. A multi-disciplinary team of over 251 dedicated staff along with 38 Emory/Morehouse medical school psychiatrists/psychologists oversee the training of 52 medical school residents, students, psychology post docs and masters level trainees. Below is a summary of services along with 2017 annual encounters with individuals served.
Hospital Based Services
Behavioral Health Emergencies: 10,751 Visits
Partnership with Grady EMS and Georgia’s Crisis and Access Line mobile crisis team
Grady has a 12 bed dedicated psychiatric emergency services within the Emergency Department (ED)
Crisis Intervention Unit: 6,156 Admissions
Temporary Observation Unit (32 Capacity) for Behavioral Health crises
Average length of stay 28 hours
Inpatient psychiatric services: 1,240 Admissions (8,680 Bed days)
24 bed inpatient unit with interdisciplinary team of professionals.
Development of aftercare and recovery plans
Average length of stay 7 days
Psychiatric Consultation services: 1,200 consultations
Serves individuals admitted to Grady for medical concerns and who are in need of behavioral health support
Service includes psychiatrists, physician assistant and psychologists, as appropriate
Outpatient Based Services (10 Park Place)
Outpatient Behavioral Health Services: 40,483 Visits
Intensive aftercare program targeted to individuals with recent discharge from hospital
Clinic based services include diagnostic evaluations, medication management, counseling and group services
Substance abuse services are offered in a clinic setting and include a Medication Assisted Opioid Treatment program
New patients are taken through walk-in Monday-Friday from 8 am to 2 pm.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation: 12,627 Visits
Recovery focused day program to assist individuals to gain/regain skills
Support for returning to school and work and utilizing individualized Wellness Recovery Action Plans
Infectious Disease Program Behavioral Health (341 Ponce De Leon Ave): 5600 annual visits
Specialty behavioral health services integrated within the Grady HIV primary care program.
Provides lifespan behavioral health programs for infants, children, youth, and adults living with HIV disease that includes comprehensive psychiatric and neuropsychiatric evaluations, psychotherapy (individual, group, couple, family), psychological and neurodevelopmental testing, psychiatric medication management, dual diagnosis services for persons with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, mental health case management, and behavioral health consultation to HIV primary care team.
Community Based Services
Assertive Community Treatment: 22,218 Visits
Community based service that provides a high touch and high intensity support that is considered a hospital “without walls”. Referrals are accepted from Grady’s psychiatric services as well as from Georgia state psychiatric hospitals and limited referrals from local jails.
Interdisciplinary team providing services that include medication management, therapy, substance abuse treatment (as appropriate) as well as vocational and recovery support
Intensive Case Management: 1,100 Visits
Community based service to support individuals with behavioral health issues to access services to support their recovery as well as social supports for benefits, housing and life goals.
Jail Based Services: 2,000 visits
Treatment team who sees people with mental illness at the Atlanta City Jail.
Projects for Assistance in Transition for Homeless (PATH)
Homeless Outreach: 24 people a month
Integrated Behavioral Health: Initiated in 2nd Quarter 2018 (estimated annual visits 12,000)
Behavioral health support services offered in Grady primary care clinics, neighborhood clinics and new specialty clinics like the Transition of Care and Chronic Care clinics. Addresses behavioral health issues such as depression, anxiety and substance use.
Collaborative care model where behavioral health providers consult with the primary care team. Behavioral health team includes Psychiatrist, Clinical Pharmacist, Licensed Behavioral Health Therapist and Wellness Coach.
Research Resources
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Emory’s Libraries and Information Technology Services (LITS) LIMS team supports the Emory Research Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) application. LIMS is a secure, internally hosted application designed to support workflow automation and information tracking related to biospecimen sample management and processing as part of Emory’s Bio-Banking infrastructure.
Key features and benefits of the system include:
- Study management including the Study Design Module (SDM), which provides an easy to use graphical user interface for study design including visits, time points and draws.
- Participant/subject management
- Sample management throughout the entire sample lifecycle
- Location management – used to track sample boxes and freezer locations
- Instrument integration
- Reagent tracking
- Tests and Results
- Electronic shipments
- Reports and label creation
- Provides API integration with other bio-banking applications such as Emory Research Subject Registry (ERSR), Clinical Research Assistant (CR-Assist), Research Electronic Data Capture (RedCap).
- Easy sharing/collaboration between PI studies and samples if desired.
- HIPPA compliant
- Servers are hosted in climate controlled, physically secure server operations center with 24 x 7 monitoring and environmental sensors and controls.
- Network segmentation and firewalls to restrict access to the database
- Complex passwords required for system access
- Nightly backups - All backups are encrypted and with a rotating cycle of media stored off-site in case of a disaster
- All servers are patched on a regular basis and have anti-virus software scanning
Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) REDCap is a secure, internally hosted web-based application designed specifically to support data capture for research studies. REDCap is an open source software program supported through a consortium led by Vanderbilt University. REDCap is a metadata driven electronic data capture system available for investigators to use for form-based data collection. The system is supported by Emory Libraries and Information Technology Services (LITS) and hosted on a LITS virtual machine (VM) environment with nightly backup and full redundancy for high application availability and reliability. REDCap is a web-based system with the Apache/PHP web server located in the DMZ and the MySQL database backend hosted in a HIPAA compliant secure data zone. Access to the system requires an Emory University or Emory Healthcare user account with external users supported using Emory University sponsored accounts.
Key features and benefits of REDCap include:
- An intuitive interface for data entry (with data validation)
- Audit trails for tracking data manipulation and export procedures
- Automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R)
- Procedures for importing data from external sources
- Facilitates compliancy with Emory’s HIPAA policies and procedures
- Advanced features, such as branching logic and calculated fields
The Investigational Drug Service (IDS) is an integral part of the research process at Emory University. Since January 1, 2008, University policy has required that investigators who conduct drug studies use IDS for the management and dispensing of research drugs. The policy applies to all investigational drugs and drugs provided free of charge and used in clinical trials. The primary location for the Emory Investigational Drug Service is Emory Clinic, Building A. This location provides investigational drug services to the Winship Cancer Institute in Building C, the Emory Clinic, Buildings A and B, Executive Park, Emory Genetics, the Emory Children's Center, EUH and EUHM. IDS currently has one satellite location at The Hope Clinic of Emory University. The clinical arm of the Emory Vaccine Research Center (EVC) and a Clinical Core for the Emory Center for AIDS Research (CFAR).
Cloud computing resources. Emory provides a default 1TB per researcher of HIPAA secure cloud storage via Box.com, with potential to extend it to several hundred terabytes. Emory Amazon Web Services (AWS) is Emory University’s preferred and recommended cloud service for faculty-led computational needs. The service provides access to Amazon’s cloud computing services, including computing, storage, database, etc., with a few exceptions that have been blocked for security purposes. The service is a multi-mission platform that can facilitate the advancement of science, education, and service across the University.
Electronic Medical Data: Emory Healthcare uses Cerner software exclusively for the direct collection of medical data from patients in the ICU and operating rooms. Using a unique data extraction infrastructure, almost all clinical data from the Cerner system are extracted into the Emory Healthcare Data Warehouse. This data includes all vital signs, laboratory values, medications administered, nursing and physician documentation, flow sheets, and orders. These data are extracted from the production EMR systems on a nightly basis and is typically available for queries by 6 am. Access to the data warehouse is achieved either via direct SQL access to Oracle based data warehouse servers or via a middleware query tool, microstrategy.
Emory Healthcare Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW) is a repository that integrates data from multiple business and clinical applications within Emory Healthcare and some external benchmarking databases – providing data needed for clinical quality reporting, research and operational decision-making support. More than 500 users employ the CDW to collectively run more than 40,000 reports monthly, drill down into the data, create ad-hoc queries and graphs, and export the information. The primary goal of the CDW is to provide standardized metrics, filters and reports to ensure that results are consistent over time, among users and across the enterprise. Flexibility to create customized, research-specific metrics is available as well. Data available within the CDW includes patient visit data, provider information, diagnoses and procedures, clinical laboratory results, clinician documentation, pharmacy, and emergency department utilization and details. With IRB approval, investigators can identify patients meeting study inclusion/exclusion criteria that have consented for research contact.