Objectives/Goals: The never in mitosis kinase (NEK) family regulates vital processes, namely cell cycle progression, but their potential as therapeutic targets in TNBC has not been fully explored. Our studies aim to develop a toolkit to investigate the functional roles of NEKs in pathologies including carcinogenesis. Methods/Study Population: To assess differential NEK expression in normal and tumor tissues and correlation of gene expression with patient survival, we used Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Kaplan–Meier Plotter (KMPlot) pan-cancer analysis, respectively. Basal NEK protein levels were determined by immunoblot across a panel of cell lines, including breast cancer, osteosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and non-cancerous cells, to identify appropriate systems for evaluation of NEK function. Doxycycline-inducible cell lines were generated by transduction with lentiviral stocks of NEK shRNA and overexpression constructs and antibiotic selection. Expression was analyzed by qPCR and immunoblot. Results/Anticipated Results: Expression of NEK2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 11 was higher in breast tumors compared to normal tissue by GEPIA analysis. Further examination using KMPlot showed a correlation between elevated NEK6 expression and decreased overall survival in patients with aggressive cancers. As an initial proof-of-concept study, we analyzed NEK6 protein expression in breast cancer cells. Levels of NEK6 were elevated in TNBC cells (MDA-MB-231) compared to hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer cells (MCF7). Using complementary approaches to investigate the functional role of NEK6 in breast cancer, we depleted NEK6 expression using shRNAs in TNBC cells and expressed NEK6 in HR+ cells Discussion/Significance of Impact: Because kinase dysregulation promotes oncogenesis and metastasis, targeting kinases is a key strategy in therapeutic development. A NEK-specific molecular toolkit allows researchers to elucidate NEK functions and contributions to carcinogenesis, promoting advancement of novel therapies.

Objectives/Goals: The University of Minnesota’s two-year TL1 program provides flexible and individualized education and training for a diverse cohort of scholars committed to pursuing impactful careers in clinical and translational science (CTS). The program aims to strengthen the nation’s biomedical workforce by developing scientists skilled in clinical and translational research. Methods/Study Population: The TL1 program recruits PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows from a wide variety of graduate programs in colleges and departments across the University. To date, we have trained 26 predoctoral and 9 postdoctoral Scholars in 3 cohorts. Scholars represent dozens of disciplines and the full translational spectrum. These interdisciplinary cohorts are in a unique position to realize the fundamental characteristics of a translational scientist. Entrance/exit surveys and exit interviews provide program leadership with information for quality improvement and areas scholars believe contribute the most to their education and training in CTS. Results/Anticipated Results: Entrance/exit surveys indicated Scholar-perceived benefits of training in an interdisciplinary program, including growth in translational scientist characteristics (e.g., Boundary Crosser, Team Player). Exit interviews showed Scholars appreciated the cohort model bringing together trainees from many different research areas. They valued exposure to varied perspectives, talking through challenges and solutions with each other, and learning others shared similar issues. They valued the Scholar community they developed. Several felt siloed in their careers before the program and reported that TL1 participation connected them to others outside their own area of focus, expanded their knowledge about different research methods and revealed more pathways for translation. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Recruiting and training a diverse interdisciplinary cohort of pre- and postdoctoral TL1 Scholars promoted synergy in translational research, science skills and competencies, and transformed the perspectives of Scholars’ views on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to accelerate science.

Objectives/Goals: The study is designed to co-develop a genetics education digital platform with community participants. Diverse populations, especially African American communities, are less likely to participate in genetic testing and clinical trials. To increase participation and community input, we want community participants across Louisiana. Methods/Study Population: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods study will be conducted to assess interest in learning about genetics through a digital education platform and to adapt the platform based on participant feedback. Specific Aim 1 will be achieved by recruiting a diverse cohort and collecting demographic data to identify participants’ characteristics. For Specific Aim 2, 35 community participants will be enrolled as a co-design team to complete 5-week educational modules. Feedback from focus groups will guide iterative platform refinements, ensuring the platform is culturally tailored and user-friendly. Results/Anticipated Results: For Specific Aim 1, we anticipate that the majority of participants will express interest in learning about genetics through the digital platform, with demographic data revealing a diverse participant pool, predominantly from African American and Hispanic communities. For Specific Aim 2, we expect that all 35 co-design team members will complete the 5-week modules. Feedback from the focus groups is anticipated to highlight the need for more user-friendly navigation, culturally tailored content, and enhanced visuals. These insights will guide the refinement of the digital platform for improved engagement and accessibility. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This study addresses a critical translational barrier – underrepresentation of African descended communities in genetic testing. By developing a culturally tailored, digital platform to engage these populations, the project aims to reduce health disparities, enhance genetic literacy, and foster inclusivity in genomic research.

Objectives/Goals: This study examines prevalence of complete sample size justifications in publications in the top five clinical neurology journals. Secondary goals include comparing study designs and clinical populations to explore whether some may be more likely to include inadequate sample size considerations. Methods/Study Population: Recent studies (n  =  125) in Lancet Neurology, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, JAMA Neurology, Acta Neuropathology, and Brain will be evaluated. For each journal, the 25 most recent empirical articles between 2022 and 2023 will be examined for their inclusion of a justification and reproducible sample size calculation. Inclusion of components of an ideal sample size justification will be evaluated: effect size to be detected (standardized or unstandardized), alpha, power, and from where values were derived. Prevalence and completeness will be compared among study designs, clinical populations, and with regard to journal reporting requirements. Results/Anticipated Results: At the pilot review stage, 17 of 25 included studies had any kind of sample size justification, and only 3 studies had enough information to reproduce their sample size calculations. Retrospective studies included a sample size justification more frequently (81.8% vs. 57.1%), but prospective studies had more complete sample size justifications, when present. We hypothesize that sample size calculations will be more complete in reports of clinical trials and prospective cohort studies, compared to retrospective and cross-sectional designs. Based on our previous research, we do not expect that journal reporting requirements will affect completeness of sample size justifications. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Translational decision-making is informed in part by the robustness of current research. Transparency of sample size considerations in publications can contribute to the formation of less biased opinions of translational readiness and, subsequently, more efficient and effective translation.

Objectives/Goals: Endometrial cancer is one of the few cancers that has both a rising incidence and mortality rate. Molecular classification is becoming more important for the management of endometrial cancer but the ability to translate this into clinical practice remains constrained. Our goal is to use AI to predict the molecular subtype from histopathology slides. Methods/Study Population: We utilized the open source endometrial cancer datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (N = 387) and Cancer Proteomics Transcriptomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) (N = 135) to develop and train a vision transformer AI model. We used a proprietary cohort of patients (N = 548) for external validation. Whole slide images (WSI) and molecular subtype data were collected. Subtypes include POLE ultramutated (POLE), microsatellite instability (MSI-H), copy-number low (CNV-L), and copy-number high (CNV-H). WSI were preprocessed, and features were extracted. Modified STAMP protocol was used in training, utilizing a pretrained foundation transformer model (Virchow2). Cross-validation of the TCGA was used for initial training, followed by testing on the CPTAC dataset and validation on our proprietary cohort. Results/Anticipated Results: Fivefold cross-validation of the TCGA database (60% training, 20% testing, and 20% validation) developed a best overall model with a mean AUC of 0.74 (POLE 0.78, MSI-H 0.76, CNV-H 0.86, CNV-L 0.77). Overall precision 0.58, recall 0.55. CNV-H was the subtype with the most accurate prediction. CPTAC holdout testing revealed moderately high AUC (POLE 0.63, MSI-H 0.62, CNV-H 0.98, and CNV-L 0.76). Overall precision 0.54 and recall 0.58. Again, CNV-H was the most accurate prediction. Validation on our proprietary cohort revealed a drop in performance with overall mixed results by AUC (POLE 0.50, MSI-H 0.69, CNV-H 0.78, and CNV-L 0.61). Overall precision 0.57, recall 0.45. Again, CNV-H with the most accurate prediction but F1 score dropped from 0.77 in the CPTAC to 0.47 on validation. POLE was the least accurate prediction subtype. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The CNV-H subtype demonstrated robust performance, suggesting the model effectively captures the features associated with this subtype. CNV-L had moderate performance. MSI-H and POLE were notably lower. WSI-based AI models show translational potential for subtype prediction in the management of endometrial cancer but more work is necessary.

Objectives/Goals: Rare disease patients often face lengthy delays in receiving accurate diagnoses or experience misdiagnoses due to a lack of available information. The NCATS Rare Disease Alert System (RDAS) is a public, comprehensive rare disease resource to collect and share accurate, up-to-date, and standardized data on rare diseases. Methods/Study Population: RDAS is composed of a frontend UI, Application Programming Interfaces, and backend Neo4j graph database. Each component of data collection, data annotation, data standardization, and data representation as steps were implemented during the process of each graph database creation. The UI allows users to search, browse, and subscribe to RDAS to receive the latest information and findings about their rare disease(s) of interest. The back-end data include four knowledge graphs built by integrating information from the NCATS Genetic and Rare Disease program, PubMed articles, clinical trials, and NIH grant funding. Ultimately, the integrative information pertinent to rare diseases from RDAS would advance rare diseases research. Results/Anticipated Results: Of 5001 rare diseases belonging to 32 distinct disease categories, we identified 1294 diseases that are mapped to 45,647 distinct, NIH-funded projects obtained from the NIH ExPORTER by implementing semantic annotation of project titles. To capture semantic relationships presenting among mapped research funding data, we defined a data model comprised of seven primary classes and corresponding object and data properties. A Neo4j knowledge graph based on this predefined data model has been developed, and we performed multiple case studies over this knowledge graph to demonstrate its use in directing and promoting rare disease research. Discussion/Significance of Impact: We developed an integrative knowledge graph with rare disease data and demonstrated its use as a source to identify and generate scientific evidence to support rare disease research. With the success of this study, we plan to implement advanced computation to analyze more funding related data and link to other types of data to perform further research.

Objectives/Goals: The importance of interprofessional communication in healthcare is well documented. However, there has yet to be a theoretical framework for understanding this complex phenomenon. The purpose of this project was to develop a situation-specific theory about the culture of communication in the interprofessional healthcare setting. Methods/Study Population: We conducted individual virtual qualitative interviews with 16 healthcare professionals at different levels and from various disciplines. Participants were practicing clinicians at a tertiary care academic medical center. We transcribed audio-recordings of the interviews verbatim and aligned each transcript for accuracy, confidentiality, and representativeness. Data analysis was conducted using dimensional analysis, including open- and theoretical-coding utilizing an explanatory matrix for theory generation. Results/Anticipated Results: Our findings produced a situation-specific theory on the culture of interprofessional communication in the healthcare setting. Participants described the environments in which they practiced in terms of hierarchical system structures and through a conceptual perspective of resource investment. In other words, they viewed their time and their effort as valuable – and notably, scarce – resources, which they invest in patient care, interprofessional communication, and other tasks. There are two key pathways that characterize the culture of interprofessional communication: collaborative communication and transactional interactions, depending on whether an individual perceives the goals of another person, department, or level of the hierarchical institution as aligned with their own goals. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Positive cultures of interprofessional communication in the healthcare setting depend on perceived goal alignment among individuals, departments, and leadership. Future research can explore how perceptions of goal alignment are developed and empirically test this situation-specific theory in other healthcare system settings.

Objectives/Goals: To discuss the challenges faced by National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS; PI Cottler) in monitoring emerging drug trends and disseminating data to maximize public health impact. Drug trends are constantly in flux, with various communities facing different harms. To provide salient information, NDEWS must triangulate data from multiple sources. Methods/Study Population: In 2020, NDEWS was funded at University of Florida through a cooperative agreement with NIDA. A Scientific Advisory Group meets regularly for overall guidance, and 17 Sentinel Sites provide local perspectives. Now in its fifth year, NDEWS has utilized traditional data such as death reporting and drug seizures and has launched several novel surveillance components. Rapid Street Reporting conducts anonymous surveys of drug use in a Sentinel Site or hotspot each month. Machine learning methods applied to Reddit reveal new trends and novel substances. County-level alerts are generated by analysis of 911-dispatch data accessed through biospatial.io. Wastewater-based epidemiology provides city-level data. Findings are disseminated primarily through email weekly briefings and by peer-reviewed articles. Results/Anticipated Results: In its first iteration, NDEWS has expanded available data sources and worked to integrate data to reveal trends that impact communities across the USA. These patterns vary substantially over time and by region and population, complicating analysis, but inclusion of multiple data sources is imperative for a full understanding of the landscape. NDEWS continues to explore novel routes of disseminating information to those who need it, including contacting local health departments with high overdose rates. Establishing networks for bidirectional communication with stakeholder groups such as toxicologists and educational affiliates is underway. NDEWS seeks to deepen ties with survivors unions (those with lived experience) and harm reduction organizations, which can be difficult due to mistrust of research. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Monitoring the rapidly changing drug landscape in the USA is challenging, and its importance has only grown in recent years as new substances arise and adulterated drug supply has become the norm, promulgating the rise of dangerous substances such as fentanyl and xylazine. Ensuring that information filters out to those who use substances is critical.

Objectives/Goals: The growing burden of hypertension in the USA disproportionately impacts individuals with lower socioeconomic status and those in rural communities. This study aims to investigate specific social determinants of health associated with uncontrolled hypertension among rural, underserved patients residing in Alabama. Methods/Study Population: A retrospective review of electronic health records data from the UAB Selma Family Medicine clinic was conducted. The deidentified data were entered into the Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE) to render social characteristics and community vital sign (CVS) scores, a social deprivation index, by census tracts. We provide descriptive statistics and compare the stated factors between patients with controlled and uncontrolled hypertension using logistic regression models. We are conducting phone surveys to gather individualized data on social determinants of health to assess the perceived social needs of patients with hypertension. The Protocol for Responding to & Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks & Experience tool was used to develop the survey, and survey responses will be compared with the PHATE results. Results/Anticipated Results: Among 2129 patients, 375 (17.6%) had uncontrolled hypertension with a mean age of 58.7 ± 14.4 years. Women comprised 66.7% (250) and 65.1% (1142) of the uncontrolled and controlled hypertension populations, respectively. The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension was 19.1% among Black patients and 8.2% in White patients. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension had a CVS of 82.37 ± 7.31 and 81.81 ± 8.40 patients with controlled hypertension. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension lived in areas where an average of 46 ± 11% were not employed, 36 ± 9% rented, and 28 ± 1% lived below the federal poverty line (FPL). Adjusting for age, race, and sex, a unit increase in the proportion of people below the FPL was associated with 43% higher odds of uncontrolled versus controlled hypertension (OR  =  1.43, 95% CI 0.44, 4.64). Discussion/Significance of Impact: Rural, underserved patients with hypertension experience multiple adverse social determinants, such as nonemployment rates, low income, and rental housing. Survey results will allow us to compare assessed and individualized social determinants that may be important to address when caring for this population.

Objectives/Goals: Retention in care is vital for people living with HIV. We used human-centered design (HCD) to engage a community-based research panel over a 5-year period, allowing us to incorporate their insights on research guidance and interpretation of findings to investigate correlates of HIV care outcomes. Methods/Study Population: We recruited a diverse panel of individuals who were living with HIV, HIV clinicians, and/or providing non-clinical HIV services in Marion County, Indiana. We conducted biannual sessions using a variety of HCD tools and activities to engage participants. Each session took about three hours, and panelists were compensated for their participation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sessions were initially held virtually. Sessions were designed for project discussion and to facilitate exploration of concerns and challenges facing receipt of HIV services. Our HCD approach put participants in the center of discussion and empowered them to externalize ideas and collaborate meaningfully with our team. Results/Anticipated Results: Since project inception, 48 individuals have joined the panel. Thirty-five are actively engaged, participating in one or more of six sessions conducted to date. We have learned much from the panel. One example is that a residential move might be a risk or protective factor for retention in care and the amount of time one had lived with HIV is a crucial factor. Panel insights have helped guide and prioritize analyses, aided in identification of data missing from our ecosystem, helped interpret results, provided feedback on future interventions, led to a quality improvement project with the local health department, and led to a presentation at a local health equity conference. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Community engagement is essential to impactful and sustainable research. HCD was a successful approach to engage our panel to inform interventions more relevant to the community. We anticipate these methods will be important for others conducting community-engaged research.

Objectives/Goals: To design and implement programming that better prepares graduate students for diverse roles in a variety of workforce environments, our study models the training landscape and programming needs of graduate students in behavioral, clinical, and biomedical graduate programs at a large Midwestern school of medicine and public health. Methods/Study Population: We conducted six focus groups (two graduate program manager focus groups and four graduate student focus groups), to assess the programming, career development, and training needs of graduate students. Using a grounded theory approach, we first engaged in open coding of a sample of transcripts. After developing a codebook, we continued with an iterative coding process interspersed with coder meetings to discuss emerging and changing codes. Using the framework of landscape analysis allowed our coding and modeling to go beyond graduate student needs and study the varying relationships and contexts that impact graduate students throughout their training, such as relationship to supervisor or institutional policies. Results/Anticipated Results: Preliminary results indicate that students wrestle with their status as both students and workers. Specifically, conflict arises between graduate and supervisor expectations around time spent in class, lab, and other career development activities based on these divergent roles. Students and program managers also note the disparities that arise from the university’s lack of standard, formalized policy on labor issues, such as paid leave. Data also suggest that students on training grants note the difference in access to career development resources compared to colleagues. In many cases, students themselves coordinate ad hoc programming to better suit their career and professional development needs, although this work is not a required aspect of their training. Discussion/Significance of Impact: We characterize current graduate training landscapes, which continue to shift as graduate student bodies diversify, unionize, and express interest in increasingly varied biomedical careers. Data from multiple perspectives facilitate creating, implementing, and evaluating supportive training programs that meet identified student needs.

Objectives/Goals: (1) Conduct a pilot study documenting prevalence of tinnitus in a sample of Puerto Rican adults at the Audiology Clinic of the Medical Sciences Campus-University of Puerto Rico, (2) categorize patterns of tinnitus, (3) document intervention received for tinnitus, and (4) study sociodemographic characteristics of Puerto Rican adult participants with tinnitus. Methods/Study Population: A descriptive retrospective study was performed reviewing 121 clinical records of patients seen at the Audiology Intramural Clinic of the Medical Sciences Campus of the Universidad de Puerto Rico between 2022 and 2023. They were analyzed to determine the prevalence of tinnitus among this cohort. The study was submitted to the Office of Human Participants for revision and approval under the exempt category. The data were used to categorize the type of tinnitus, episodic versus constant, tonal versus non-tonal and the sociodemographic description of the sample. Results/Anticipated Results: From these 121 records, 70.2% (n = 85) were females and 29% (n = 29.8) were males. Subject ages ranged between 21 and 65 years. About 30% reported being single 30.6% (n = 37), followed by 21.5% (n = 26) reporting being married. From the 62 revised clinical records of subjects that reported tinnitus, 24% (n = 29) classified their tinnitus, in terms of how long they experience its presence, as constant, while 14% (n = 17) classified their tinnitus as intermittent. From the 62 revised clinical records, 44 participants (36.4%) described their tinnitus as tonal and 64.6 % as a complex sound of those patients 38 (31.4%) reported the tinnitus as a high-frequency pitch sound. Of the 62 patient records, the majority (98.4%) informed that they never received the treatment for tinnitus. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The results indicate that more than half of adults evaluated in the UPR Audiology Intramural Clinic (51%) had tinnitus. Age range was broad developing at any age but most prevalent in middle-aged females. Manifested permanent as a tonal or a complex sound. About 98.4% informed that they never received treatment, therefore, there is a need to ensure intervention.

Objectives/Goals: A summer research program for medical students was implemented using real-world evidence (RWE) – electronic health record (EHR) databases to develop and answer research questions. Medical students were trained in capabilities of traversing the large RWE-EHR so they may query, extract, and analyze data as well as refine their research questions. Methods/Study Population: Ten medical students and 9 non-data scientist mentors underwent training in how to use the IU School of Medicine-Evansville RWEdataLab (CRC/Sidus Insights) national real-world cardiology and psychiatry deidentified EHR databases. The program began with students attending introductory training teaching database, spreadsheet, and statistical program usage. During the remainder of the program, a weekly best practices meeting took place among mentors and a weekly cohort meeting of students and mentors discussed student presented findings. At the end of the program, students generated abstracts and poster or podium presentations to share their findings at local symposia. A survey was also distributed to students to assess the impact of the tools, trainings, and program. Results/Anticipated Results: All students were able to define a question of interest, query and extract data related to their research question, and analyze multiple aspects of their data. Projects were well received at local symposia, with 2 receiving special honors, and 2 projects have been presented at regional/national conferences. Students rated the program highly and were likely to recommend the program to other students. They self-rated improvements in asking scientific questions, using excel, data presentations, and problem-solving. Students valued weekly “check-in” meetings and interactions with mentors more than lectures or technical “help desk” support. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The program provides mechanisms for non-data scientists and medical trainees, to learn and access RWE-EHR databases to address research questions. The cohort interactions fostered discussion among mentors and students promoting research question refinement and clarity findings. The program also introduces a new tool for potential patient care.

Objectives/Goals: We evaluated the implementation of a peer-facilitated research best practices training for Community Health Workers and Promotoras (CHW/Ps) at four new partner sites to increase the capacity and capability of a workforce increasingly involved in community-engaged research. Methods/Study Population: Staff were trained using a train-the-trainer model, and materials were disseminated to partners at three academic institutions and one community-based organization. Each site delivered the training virtually or in-person in English and/or Spanish. CHW/P learners at all sites completed online evaluation surveys about the impact of the training on their knowledge and skills for participating in research-related work, and two CHW/Ps from each site participated in follow-up interviews to gather feedback about their experiences. Staff completed fidelity monitoring, follow-up interviews, and three brief surveys regarding feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of implementing the training. Results/Anticipated Results: The four sites conducted six trainings with a total of 42 CHW/Ps. Two sites each conducted one in-person training in English while the other two sites each conducted two virtual trainings, one in English and one in Spanish. Staff noted facilitators to successful implementation, including providing a facilitator guide and course materials in both languages and tips sheets for navigating REDCap; using the train-the-trainer model; and compensating CHW/P learners for attendance. The primary barrier noted was not having a budget for in-person trainings (e.g., refreshments, printed materials). CHW/P learners reported positive experiences with few suggestions for improving the training. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Preliminary results suggest the research best practices training for CHW/Ps is feasible, acceptable, and appropriate for implementation by partners at academic institutions and community-based organizations, regardless of language (i.e., English or Spanish) or delivery (i.e., virtual or in-person).

Objectives/Goals: Micro-credentials (MCs) or digital badges are short programs designed to allow learners to gain knowledge and skills at their own pace to tailor their professional development. This study aims to examine the characteristics of learners completing MCs and explore their motivation for pursuing MCs through the University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) program. Methods/Study Population: Currently, the CTSI offers five MCs in Effective Teaching, Good Clinical Practice, Responsible Research, Scientific Communication, and Translational Teamwork. Individuals who completed an MC (2019–2024) were identified by the UB Office of Micro-credentials. An invitation email and two reminders were sent to all individuals who received MCs asking them to complete a short online survey in July-August 2024. The survey included three questions about the type(s) of MCs completed, learners’ motivation for pursuing MCs, and perceived or actual benefits of completing an MC. The questions included multiple choice, select all that apply, and open-ended format, respectively. The survey was sent using Google Forms; data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. We received 25 completed surveys (29% response rate). Results/Anticipated Results: Since 2019, 85 individuals completed MCs at Buffalo CTSI including 21 faculty, 18 trainees, 26 students, and 20 staff. The most popular MC, Responsible Research (65% of completers), is based on the Responsible Conduct of Research series, which consists of modules on authorship ethics, ethical use of animals (IACUC) and human subjects (IRB), conflicts of interest/commitment, and responsible data acquisition and management. We found that 33% of responders were motivated to obtain the MC to advance their career and for professional development, 30% for lifelong learning, and 23% intended to use the badges to showcase their proficiency to potential employers. The greatest benefits reported were to obtain knowledge/skills for their professional career (46%) and improve their ability to receive research funding (14%). Discussion/Significance of Impact: Micro-credentials are valuable learning tools to stay current on changing research requirements, with ability to engage asynchronously. Badges also provide unique professional development opportunities for students and research workforce (staff and community stakeholders) who have limited resources (time and money).

Objectives/Goals: The goal of this study is to determine the function of the rete ovarii (RO), an uncharacterized secretory epithelial appendage to the ovary. I am testing the hypothesis that the RO is critical for the maintenance of the ovarian reserve and fertility, and progesterone signaling plays a role in the function of the RO. Methods/Study Population: For this project, I am utilizing a mouse model. To visualize the rete ovarii (RO) in vivo, I am using a Pax8rtTA; TRE-H2B-Gfp (PTG) reporter mouse, which expresses green fluorescent protein in the RO. To determine the role of the RO in fertility and maintenance of the ovarian reserve, I will surgically ablate the RO or perform a sham surgery on adult female PTG mice. Then, I will follow-up with quantification of the ovarian reserve and long-term fertility tracking studies. To determine how the RO responds to progesterone, the RO will be cultured ex vivo in the presence and absence of progesterone. I will perform a morphometric analysis of the RO, as well as collect secreted proteins from the media for proteomic analysis. Results/Anticipated Results: If the RO is important for ovarian homeostasis, I expect that in the absence of the RO, ovarian functions such as maintenance of the ovarian reserve and fertility will be impaired. Additionally, because the RO expresses progesterone receptors, I anticipate that the RO will be responsive to progesterone as shown in changes in the morphometric analysis and in changes in secreted proteins in the presence of progesterone. Discussion/Significance of Impact: A major gap in knowledge regarding female physiology and reproductive health is the role of the RO. We expect this work to reveal that progesterone signaling in the RO is important for regulating ovarian functions and to show that the RO is a critical modulator of female fertility and reproductive function.

Objectives/Goals: The goal of this poster is to 1) describe the development of a graduate certificate program for community-engaged research for health (CEnRH) in a Clinical and Translational Science Awards-funded institution; 2) describe the initial impact of the program; and 3) discuss strengths, implications, and potential improvements for the future. Methods/Study Population: The CEnRH graduate certificate is a 12-credit, postbaccalaureate program offered at the University of Cincinnati co-created by faculty from the Community Engagement and Translational Workforce Cores of the CCTST with community partners. The goal is to support learning about community-engaged research (CEnR) and enhances capacity for academic-community partnered research. Student demographics are collected as part of university registration. Quantitative course evaluations are collected each semester. Program evaluations including qualitative data are collected from students enrolled in the program during and upon completion of the certificate. Results/Anticipated Results: The CEnRH curriculum includes 3 existing courses/electives in the College of Medicine and Psychology and three new courses in social justice and action research methodologies. Notably, the committee advocated for a scholarship to cover tuition for the certificate program to promote access for community partners. Since the fall of 2022, 17 students have enrolled in the CEnRH program, including 9 Faculty/Staff within CCTST institutions, 2 University of Cincinnati PhD Students, 5 Fellows, and 1 Community Member (who receives the scholarship). Notably, 24% of these students are from underrepresented minority backgrounds. Impact and evaluation data, as well as lessons learned, will be presented. Future directions for the CEnRH program will also be discussed. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The CEnRH is an impactful program for trainees, faculty, and staff who are planning to conduct CEnR, while also strengthening research capacity among community partners and advocates. This certificate program may be especially valuable to academic researchers as more funding agencies require community and stakeholder engagement in their proposals.

Objectives/Goals: This study aims to harmonize quality indicators (QIs) across University of Toronto-affiliated microbiology labs to establish universal benchmarks that enhance performance, patient safety, and health outcomes. Harmonized QIs will enable effective comparisons and enhance the consistency of care. Methods/Study Population: The study employed the Delphi method, a structured and iterative process to build consensus. An expert panel of clinical microbiology trainees, medical microbiologists, trainees, and site leads from five University of Toronto-affiliated microbiology labs was assembled. Initial insights were gathered through surveys and a comprehensive scoping review of the literature. The study involved two rounds of feedback, a SurveyMonkey-based survey, with a defined consensus of 75% agreement among participants. Followed by an implementation survey conducted through REDCap to assess how these QIs were adopted in practice and identify barriers to implementation. Results/Anticipated Results: The study achieved consensus on nine high-impact quality indicators, including blood culture volume and contamination rates, cerebrospinal fluid transport time, and turnaround times for Gram stain results. Blood culture contamination and positivity rates garnered the highest agreement, at 100% and 91%, respectively. While some indicators were widely accepted and implemented, others faced resistance due to feasibility concerns. The study also identified significant variability in the level of adoption across the participating laboratories, pointing to operational challenges and the need for further efforts to address these barriers. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This study highlights the importance of QI harmonization in improving lab services and patient safety. It reveals challenges in standardizing practices but promotes uniformity in QIs, laying the groundwork for better inter-lab collaboration, consistent outcomes, and improvements in microbiology.

Objectives/Goals: The clinical research professional (CRP) workforce suffers from high turnover. Stay interviews have led to increased satisfaction and reduced turnover in other industries. We describe a multi-institutional project to develop, disseminate, and evaluate a CRP-tailored Stay Interview tool reimagined as the Individual Retention Conversation (IRC) toolkit. Methods/Study Population: In August 2022, following on the heels of a series of un-meeting conversations focused on CRP workforce development, the CRP taskforce initiated a working group to tackle issues related to CRP workforce retention. As a first initiative, this multi-institutional working group set out to develop, disseminate, and evaluate a Stay Interview tool tailored for a CRP audience and reimagined as the IRC toolkit. A 2-phase pilot study was initiated across six academic medical centers (AMCs: ASU, Duke, MUSC, UAB, UPenn, VCU) to: 1) optimize the toolkit for the CRP audience and 2) evaluate the impact of the toolkit using a standardized CRP satisfaction survey. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via surveys using the REDCap platform. Results/Anticipated Results: The optimization phase of the pilot included 69 participants (16 managers and 53 of their CRP team members) from 6 AMCs. Respondents identified most and least useful questions for stimulating meaningful conversations regarding job satisfaction and retention issues with additional feedback on the IRC experience and tools. CRPs and managers represented a variety of roles, with 77% patient facing. The majority were satisfied with the IRC experience (82%) and found the experience personally beneficial (76%). Managers were satisfied with the manager’s guide (90%). Quantitative and qualitative feedback was used to optimize the toolkit prior to launch of phase 2 in September 2024, which includes a longitudinal survey-based assessment of CRP job satisfaction and IRC-consequent work environment changes. Discussion/Significance of Impact: CRP retention is impacted by complex factors, many related to job satisfaction, supervisor /employee relationships, and beneficial work environments. Initial evaluation of the IRC suggests that this intervention fosters positive supervisor/employee relationships and beneficial work environment changes, which may lead to improved retention.

Objectives/Goals: Our research goal is to translate medical guidelines for adolescent-centered contraceptive counseling into improved clinical practice. Here, we describe the process of co-designing a training program for adolescent-serving primary care clinicians with teen, caregiver, and clinician advisory boards. Methods/Study Population: We recruited teens, caregivers, and clinicians residing in North Carolina to participate in three virtual advisory boards separated by role. Eligible teen advisors were assigned female at birth and 15–19 years old; eligible clinicians provided care for teen patients; and all groups were purposively sampled to reflect diverse identities and experiences. At each advisor meeting, we used human-centered design techniques to elicit participant priorities, generate training content and engagement strategies, and obtain feedback on the final training program. We conducted a focus group at our final meetings and used rapid qualitative analysis to understand our advisors’ experiences participating in program co-development. Results/Anticipated Results: We partnered with 20 advisors with diverse identities across geographic location, race and ethnicity, sexuality, and experiences with disability. During 15 meetings from January to May 2024 (five with each advisor group), we developed a 3-hour virtual, synchronous training for adolescent-serving primary care providers to improve their contraceptive counseling skills. The curriculum includes five interactive modules and a resource toolkit. Advisors described motivations to participate (e.g., chance to share their perspective, desire to make change), positive experiences with the advisory boards (e.g., opportunities to learn, to connect with others), and opportunities for improvement (e.g., better technology orientation). Discussion/Significance of Impact: We describe developing a successful longitudinal partnership with three community advisory boards and co-creating a training program that incorporates community-led priorities and perspectives, including youth. This approach can be adapted for other clinician training programs seeking to center community voices.