The volume and diversity of clinical research has grown enormously at WU Department of Otolaryngology over the past several years. The year 2002 was a watershed year with the addition of researchers from the Central Institute for the Deaf. As a result of the expansion of clinical research in the Department and national trends in clinical research, our investigators experience a number of blocks or barriers to the conduct of clinical research. Among these blocks and barriers are the lack of administrative infrastructure to assist investigators with the different phases of clinical research, growing human studies regulatory burden, limited biostatistical and methodological support, lack of research subject recruitment infrastructure, and underdevelopment of community resources for subject recruitment. This supplemental application is for the addition of a Clinical and Translational Research Core to the established NIDCD P30-supported Research Center for Auditory and Vestibular Studies in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The Specific Aims of this application are: 1) Expand the clinical research infrastructure through the hiring of a clinical research regulatory compliance officer and biostatistician;2) Use biomedical informatics technology to: a) digitize audiograms, vestibular reports, and audiovisual research data and merge with campus-wide research databases , b) create a voluntary research participant registry, and c) utilize Web-based technologies to improve communication with the lay public and other researchers;3) Promote collaboration between basic and clinical scientists to increase translation of basic science findings to human applications. The resources of the WU Clinical and Translational Science Award-supported Center for Biomedical Informatics, Research Design &Biostatistics Group, Regulatory Support Center, and Community Engagement cores will be used to assist the Clinical and Translational Research Core investigators build the research infrastructure described in this application. This application also proposes the creation of unique and novel translational research retreats, seminar series, and funding for pilot collaborative studies supported through Departmental funds. The ultimate impact of this application will be to transform the conduct of clinical research and training within the Department of Otolaryngology and, in collaboration with our basic science colleagues, to serve as a model for a successful translational research program. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The ultimate impact of this application is to transform the conduct of clinical research and clinical research training within the Department of Otolaryngology and, in collaboration with our basic science colleagues, to serve as a model for a successful translational research program. Core B Clinical and Translational Research Core Director: Jay F. Piccirillo, M.D.