Pitt Pediatrics congratulates the Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center (PCTRC) for celebrating 60 years on November 7th. 
The PCTRC started in 1962 as the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. Since then, it has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It achieved distinction in 2006 when they joined University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and became the PCTRC.
The PCTRC is a unique multidisciplinary setting that provides physicians the opportunity to investigate childhood diseases in a controlled environment in both an inpatient and outpatient basis. It has participated in novel trials (gene transfers, phase 1s, first in human) and is a site for any investigators, federally or industry-funded, to complete clinical research visits and trials. It has been involved in a wide range of research with 100+ active studies going on at a time, and over 21 divisions at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
The PCTRC is led by program director Silva Arslanian, MD, with support from administrative manager Alexis Ripper, nurse manager Janet Bell, staff nurses Kim Matko, Chris Vanek, LB Mahan, and Amy Polcyn, and clinical research assistant Emily Burns.