Hospital-based Clinical Research

The Yale General Clinical Research Center (GCRC), founded in 1960, has a long history of scientific accomplishments relevant to the DERC including: 1) defining the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes (Shulman); 2) developing "insulin pump" therapy for type 1 diabetes (Sherwin & Tamborlane); 3) identifying multiple genes that contribute to hypertension (Lifton); 4) deciphering the mechanism of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia (Broadus); and 5) exploring the metabolic consequences of childhood obesity (Caprio). In 2000, Yale invested more than $1 million to update the space occupied by the GCRC. It is currently a 14-bed unit with facilities for intensive metabolic studies, and a metabolic kitchen. In 2003, the Children's GCRC merged with the Adult GCRC under Dr. Sherwin's direction, resulting in a remarkable streamlining of the daily operation of the unit which led to an increase in diabetes-related research. In 2004 a site visit team gave the Yale GCRC a score in the outstanding range. At that time, Dean Robert J. Alpern convened a Strategic Planning Committee to evaluate the status of clinical and translational research at Yale School of Medicine. The strategic planning committee recommended that Yale University create a new center, the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI) that would significantly expand the functions of the existing GCRC.