MEDI 501: Principles of Preclinical Translational Science

Enhance your translational science skills with a seven-week online course (March 28-May 13, 2022) designed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"MEDI 501: Principles of Preclinical Translational Science" is offered by NCATS in partnership with the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), which is located at the NIH.

Translational science is an emerging field that seeks to identify broadly generalizable scientific and operational principles to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of translational research.

In this course, students will learn preclinical translational science principles. Faculty will teach these principles through a case study of a highly successful translational research partnership involving NCATS, the National Cancer Institute, Northwestern University, and the University of Kansas. The partnership produced a promising potential drug shown to inhibit cancer metastasis in animal models and that entered a first-in-human clinical trial in 2020. 

Who should attend?  The course is relevant to individuals in a range of roles - including scientists, administrators, and specialists in scientific collaboration - and is appropriate across all career stages, from students to senior scientists.

Time Commitment: This one-credit course requires a time commitment of about one hour per week to listen to course lectures, plus time to complete course readings and other short assignments. 

Registration is now open. To register, go to click on the registration link and locate the course title - MEDI 501: Principles of Preclinical Translational Science.  If you are new to FAES, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Click on the "Login" button in the upper right hand corner of the page
2. Click on "Applicant Portal Homepage" 
3. Click on "Create a New Account" and complete the form  

There is a short wait time after submitting the form while FAES reviews the information submitted.  After this review, the account will be activated and the prospective student will receive an email with the subject heading "Welcome to FAES", and will be able to register for MEDI501.

Other Questions? Please contact Lameese Akacem, PhD or Jessica Faupel-Badger, PhD, MPH at the NCATS Education Branch