Researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) have formed the Tennessee Clinical and Translational Science Institute (TN-CTSI) to address health inequities in the Southern United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the American South represented the largest population growth by region in 2017. Comprised of 17 states stretching from Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on the west, to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and northward to Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia, the South has a large minority population with heightened levels of poverty and health disparities.

"TN-CTSI will catalyze the development of methods and technologies that lead to more efficient translation of medical discoveries into interventions that improve human health across the translational research spectrum, from basic science to population science," said Karen C. Johnson, MD, MPH, co-leader of TN-CTSI and Endowed Professor of Women's Health in the UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine."

Our mission is to improve the health of Tennesseans and underserved populations in the South by providing education and training, fostering interdisciplinary teams, improving quality and efficiency, and engaging community stakeholders and partners in meaningful collaboration."

Michelle Martin, PhD, a UTHSC professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, will serve as the other leader of TN-CTSI.