Advancing the research mission in an academic department: the creation of a center for translational medicine.

Multidisciplinary research centers have multiplied in academic medical centers over the past decade and several recent reports have described their structure, strengths and limitations, and the difficulties that they may face. However, little attention has been paid to the role of a multidisciplinary center in the context of a single academic department. In 2003, the Department of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College launched the Center for Translational Medicine in order to facilitate multidisciplinary research, optimally utilize space and resources, enhance the educational experience for trainees, link basic investigation with clinical research programs, and develop a program of research excellence. Herein, we describe the structure of the Center and provide evidence of its success. The development of the Center has resulted in increased total funding, an increased number of students and residents pursuing translational research, a more effective utilization of space, the development of multidisciplinary research projects, and a significant increase in the number of individual and programmatic federally funded grants. Though the creation of the Center was not without challenges, the overall benefits for the department and the university have been substantial. The concept of a translational medicine center may be useful for many departments of academic medical centers.