The Iowa Center for Translational and Clinical Research (ICTCR) was founded as a collaboration between Mercy Medical Center and Des Moines University in an effort to promote clinical and biomedical research that will benefit health care recipients. ICTCR welcomes additional partnerships with educational and health care organizations that share the vision of bringing better medicine and medical care to people through research. The ICTCR also includes Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Translational research seeks to make medicine more effective and compassionate by bring-ing laboratory research to the patients who may benefi t from the discoveries. In addition to bringing science to the patient bedside, important discoveries in the clinic can drive further investigation by research scientists. This two-way street of discovery to application and observation provides a pathway to better health.
Clinical research is patient-centered investigation to deter-mine the effectiveness and safety of new drugs, technologies and treatments in carefully controlled and ethically-based research.