About OCTRI

Translating innovative research ideas into impact

OCTRI is a catalyst for scientific collaboration, translation of biomedical advances into the community, innovation, and research growth in Oregon and beyond.

To fulfill the great potential of research to improve human health, the scientific discoveries happening all over the world must be translated into practical tools and knowledge. That’s the essence of what we do at OCTRI (“oak tree”). We help investigators, regional partners, and members of study teams to remove barriers, apply best practices, and translate biomedical advances into preventions and treatments using translational science.

What is translational science?

NCATS visualization of the translational science spectrum. All the components are overlapping and interwoven. They are not separate or linear.

Translational science is the field of investigation focused on understanding the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process.

The translational process turns observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public — from diagnostics and therapeutics to medical procedures and behavioral changes.

Learn more about translation and translational science on the NCATS website or with this NCATS video.

Support through every stage of research

Page 1 of the OCTRI brochure. Click here to view the full brochure. — Click image to view brochure

Since 2006, OCTRI has worked to accelerate discoveries toward better health by pursuing these strategic goals:

Catalyze translational research
Develop the translational workforce
Cultivate innovation in research
Foster and support scientific collaboration
Enhance partnerships with communities

Our mission is to enhance the efficiency and quality of rigorously translating research ideas into impact.

OCTRI structure, programs, and partners

OCTRI is comprised of more than 10 teams that provide a wide variety of programs and services designed to support and advance clinical and translational research. We also engage internal, external, and community advisory groups, in addition to local, regional, and national partnerships.

Regional partners and affiliates

Map of Oregon with OCTRI locations and partners marked.

To foster and support regional scientific collaboration, OCTRI has established robust relationships with academic partners, research partners, and healthcare affiliates in Oregon and Washington State. Each brings unique assets, and each is mutually beneficial.

We have expanded our research and education missions, including our K and T career development programs, to our academic partners at Portland State University, Oregon State University, and University of Oregon.

We collaborate with our research partners, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and OCHIN, to extend and complement our capacity for precision medicine and using technology to advance health equity.

We actively engage with regional healthcare affiliates to extend OHSU’s research capacity by providing expertise to build clinical and translational research at community hospital locations.

CTSA Program Partners

National COVID Cohort Collaborative

The National Institutes of Health has launched a centralized, secure enclave to store and study vast amounts of medical record data from people diagnosed with coronavirus disease across the country. It is part of an effort, called the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), to help scientists analyze these data to understand the disease and develop treatments. The N3C harnesses the extensive resources of the NCATS-funded CTSA Program and the CD2H.

For more details, see the N3C FAQs. Register for access to the N3C Data Enclave here.

National Center for Data to Health

OCTRI was the headquarters of the National Center for Data to Health (CD2H) from 2017-2021. The CD2H accelerates advancements in informatics by promoting data reuse and interoperability, tool sharing, informatics fluency, and collaboration across the entire CTSA network.

For more information about the Center for Data to Health, please visit the CD2H webpage.

Funding and history

OCTRI is funded by the National Institutes of Health (UL1TR002369) through the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program, run by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS). OCTRI also has a significant institutional commitment from OHSU. OCTRI uses our funding to provide as many no-cost services as possible to investigators at OHSU and our partner institutions. We supplement our no-cost services with some fee-for-service models.

OCTRI was among the first 12 academic health centers to be awarded with the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) in 2006. Since then, the CTSA consortium has expanded to include 50+ hubs around the country, all motivated to energize and advance clinical and translational science.