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Jennifer Larsen, M.D. |
She sees it as the arena where theories, tests and studies show their worth in terms of improving health care.
“You can research until the cows come home,” Dr. Larsen said. “But if you’re not changing health, people are going to wonder why you’re doing all this work.”
It’s this passion for clinical research that made her an easy pick to be the first UNMC College of Medicine Associate Dean for Clinical Research, said John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the College of Medicine.
“Dr. Larsen is perfect for this position,” Dr. Gollan said. “Her own work in the research laboratory and as director of the Clinical Research Center are examples of her unmatched commitment to advancing this very important aspect of health care.”
Along with her new title, Dr. Larsen is the Degan Professor and chief of UNMC’s Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism Section and director of The Nebraska Medical Center Diabetes Center. She also is director of UNMC’s Clinical Research Center, which she played a key role in forming in 1996.
Her research has recently gained federal funding and she has served as a clinical research mentor to at least 40 fellows, residents, medical students and pre-medical students in the course of her career.
Dr. Larsen earned her M.D. from the University of Iowa in 1979 and has been at UNMC for 20 years.
As part of her new duties, she will help oversee, coordinate and facilitate clinical research within the College of Medicine.
“There are different kinds of personnel, space and training needed for clinical research than with basic research,” Dr. Larsen said.
The National Institutes of Health has created a new initiative to transform clinical and translational research, the Clinical and Translational Science Award. This award will replace current Clinical Research Centers. The first 12 awards of 60 planned were funded in 2006.
Dr. Larsen is currently leading a planning process to develop a Center for Clinical and Transitional Research at UNMC in preparation for the medical center’s application for this new CTSA award.
This center will focus on and support clinical and translational research across all colleges, disciplines and campuses, with a particular focus on areas already identified in UNMC’s strategic plan, Dr. Larsen said. The center will also provide new opportunities for health professionals interested in clinical research training.
The ultimate goal of the center is to more rapidly take research advances from the laboratories into clinical medicine and from clinical trials into clinical practice.
“The bottom line is improving health care. Clinical research is how major strides are made to decrease health disparities and improve the health of our communities,” Dr. Larsen said. “Providing centralized resources for clinical research will facilitate clinical research in all areas and create new opportunities for collaborations between investigators working on similar health issues.”