Building a Regional Training Center for Product Translation
Organization: Colorado State University
Grant Round: Workforce Innovation Grant II
Program’s Objectives: A high priority of this project is to target industry needs by meeting the demands of Colorado’s ever growing bioscience sector. The Regional Training Center for Product Translation (RTC-PT) is a multi-disciplinary organization under the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing and Academic Resource Center (BioMARC) at Colorado State University (CSU). The RTC-PT fosters training of students, researchers and pharmaceutical industry personnel in the Rocky Mountain Region seeking to expand their knowledge in bringing a product to market. Three short-courses will be offered over the next year. The first short-course offered December 2008 targeted the bioscience product translational pathway and related FDA regulations. The second short-course offered in March 2009 will target pre-clinical trial design, animal modeling, toxicology and translation of pre-clinical data to human systems. The third short-course offered in June 2009 will target human clinical trial design. Each short-course will be recorded and offered on-line through the Continuing Education Department at Colorado State University. Moreover, networking and job placement opportunities will be provided at all venues to enhance the science of product translation in the region.
Individuals Served: To date the BioMARC RTC-PT has offered the first course in the series “The Product Translational Pathway and Related FDA Regulations.” Fifty-eight people were served during this course.
Success Story: The first course was a tremendous success, as demonstrated by the huge turnout, 100% positive course evaluations, and comments from the speakers. We heard from industry professionals that the first course fit their current needs. We also heard from students and incumbent workers that they have been looking for a program such as this to help them round their education as it pertains to product translation.
Quote: “While taking an undergraduate course ‘Laboratory Basics for the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries’ at CSU, I decided to pursue a career in biopharmaceutical product development. I have since graduated with a degree in Microbiology from CSU and found employment in the biopharmaceutical industry. I have attended the first RTC-PT course, “The Product Translational Pathway and Related FDA Regulations,” and found it immensely helpful to my work. I am registered for the next course, and plan to use the information I gain not only on my resume, but also in my current work.”
-- Jessica Mierkey, Quality Associate
Collaborators: Allosource, Amgen, Inc., Array BioPharma, Inc., Colorado BioScience Initiative, Inviragen, Inc., Larimer BioScience Initiative, Larimer County Workforce Center, Kelly Scientific Resources.