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The goal for the governance structure of GHUCCTS is to provide effective and efficient mechanisms for providing guidance and decision making for GHUCCTS, while preserving the identities and values and deriving synergy from the unique resources of the member institutions. This will be achieved by a bipartite leadership model, deliberative and decision-making bodies with representation from all GHUCCTS institutions, and distributed but integrated component leadership groups. A novel Investigator Support and Administrative Core will provide both personalized and web-based navigation to investigators, and will maximize efficiencies throughout all of the CTSA components. The GHUCCTS governance will be subject to an ongoing rigorous evaluation process that will identify emerging problems so that modifications of structure and alterations of personnel can be undertaken when necessary to maintain optimal effectiveness and accountability. By its very structure, as well as agreed upon priorities, GHUCCTS will actively promote multidisciplinary and cross-institutional research in the communities of Washington DC.
Principal Investigator: Joseph Verbalis, MD
Dr. Verbalis is a Professor of Medicine, Chief of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Co-Director of the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science at Georgetown University. He graduated from Princeton University with an AB in chemistry in 1971, and received an MD from the University of Pittsburgh in 1975. He completed his residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 1975-1978 and his fellowship training in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Pittsburgh from 1978-1980. Dr. Verbalis was a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh from 1980 through 1995, and then relocated to Georgetown University in 1995. Dr. Verbalis has published more than 285 journal articles and book chapters related to the neuroendocrine regulation of the hormones vasopressin and oxytocin, and disorders of body fluid homeostasis. He authors the chapters on vasopressin and water metabolism in major textbooks of endocrinology, nephrology and neuroscience and is a regularly invited speaker at national and international meetings on neuroendocrinology and body fluid homeostasis. Dr. Verbalis’ research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for the last 25 years, and has concentrated on mechanisms underlying adaptation to hyponatremia, renal escape from vasopressin, osmotic regulation of hypothalamic gene expression, sex differences in physiology and pathophysiology, exercise-associated hyponatremia, and clinical use of vasopressin receptor antagonists. In 2007 he was the awarded the Berthold Medal by the German Endocrine Society for outstanding scientific achievement in endocrinology by individuals who have excelled in combining both basic and clinical research. From 2003 to 2010 Dr. Verbalis directed the Georgetown-MedStar General Clinical Research Center. Under his co-leadership, Georgetown and Howard Universities were awarded a Clinical and Translational Science Award in 2010 to establish the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
Principal Investigator: Thomas A. Mellman, MD
Dr. Mellman is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Stress/Sleep Studies Program at Howard University College of Medicine. He received training at the NIMH Division of Intramural Research Programs and has previously held faculty appointments and achieved the rank of Professor at the University of Miami and Dartmouth.
Dr. Mellman has had continuous funding as PI on federal research grants since 1991 including a VA Merit award, and R01, R21, and K24 awards from NIMH, NHLBI, and NIMHHD. His primary research interest over the years has been the role of sleep in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the early aftermath of trauma. He recently completed an RO1 grant to investigate the relationship of PTSD to nocturnal blood pressure in young adult African Americans and R21 grants to investigate the role of sleep in processing traumatic memory, and sleep adaptations to stressful environments. His additional research interests with resulting publications include other aspects of the psychobiology and treatment of PTSD, evidence-based practices in psychopharmacology, and the role of stress in health disparities. He has a consistent track record of mentoring junior investigators and interdisciplinary collaboration. He was a member of the NIH study section for Mechanisms of Emotion Stress and Health, was previously a member of NIMH IRGs for Violence and Traumatic Stress and Interventions, and has served on several review committees for the NIH Roadmap and Department of Defense research programs. Dr. Mellman was a member of the original ISTSS committee for developing treatment guidelines for PTSD, APA committee for text revision of the DSM-IV, and the Institute of Medicine Committee for review of the evidence regarding the treatment of PTSD.