Overview

Translational research is the science of clinical and public health research that investigates the potential implementation of laboratory discoveries in clinical practice through clinical research and public health innovations into health policies by community-based research aimed at the improvement of patient care and public health. Translational research involves clinical trials and diagnostic research that aims to move newer diagnostics and therapeutics into real-world clinical practice. The research also involves an improved better understanding of risk factors of public health problems to formulate interventions to improve the population’s health through epidemiological studies.

Purpose

• To expedite scientific discovery to the clinic for the benefit of patients and communities
• To foster better integration of basic science and clinical research at IMU
• To translate bench research into clinical practice by promoting sustainable multi-disciplinary research to promote educational and career opportunities

Focus Area

Incidence of diabetes mellitus among family members of type-2 diabetic patients registered in Seremban- Prospective cohort study (SeDia Cohort Study)

Clinical prediction tool for diabetic nephropathy among type-2 diabetes patients

Clinical studies to assess the effectiveness of drugs used in primary care medicine

Strategic Plan

The need for clinical research was witnessed during the most recent period of 2000-2022 the two years of the pandemic which saw millions of publications about Covid19 which has an array of impacts due to the global shutdown. The clinical research from clinical case series analyses to clinical trials of all phases was witnessed leading to the discovery of Covid19 vaccine and rapid investigations into its effectiveness. The challenge of its implementation also went through a series of epidemiological research testing its effectiveness and acceptance at the community level. The scientific community contributed immensely to showcasing the demand for researchers in clinical epidemiology. The future practice of clinical medicine and public health underscores the skills needed to provide expedited evidence to tackle the current and future burden of disease and the possible emergence of a new pandemic.

The following strategic plans are proposed for the 5-year period 2023 to 2028.

Vision
Improving population health through the application of biomedical research in clinical practice.
Mission	Strategic Objectives and Organisation Goals
To provide research resources, training, and collaboration opportunities for IMU staff, Industry healthcare providers, and the public	Financial Increase additional funding by at least 50% for CTR Apply for additional grants Industry partnership for clinical trials Organize courses and congresses
Core Values	Customer
Research integrity Community service Professionalism Research Excellence Research capacity building	Provide baseline assessment and follow-up visits to at least 90% of patients registered in the Diabetes Register Provide a clinical trial implementation platform to the Pharma industry and the ministry of health Provide training to ministry and pharma staff in clinical epidemiology and trial management
Strategies	People and Learning
2023-24 Recruit staff and 2024- establish trials unit 2025-26- apply additional funds, generate revenue, and initiate training in clinical epidemiology and advanced biostatistics 2027-28- preliminary analyses, Report on Cohort profile	To provide a research platform to train IMU staff and students in clinical research To engage IMU staff and students in community services To improve the uptake of diabetes screening, treatment adherence in the community

 

Expertise / Team

---