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ADST Operational Model

We advance therapeutic development through collaborations with disease foundations and a “project champion” model driven by dedicated postdoctoral researchers.

About ADST Operational Model

A major part of ADST work involves collaborations with disease foundations. This approach is based on a collaborative model that began in 2008 with the Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Association. In that agreement, a postdoctoral investigator supported by the foundation pursued assay development for a specific subtype of CMT. Since then, ADST program staff have expanded the model to include work on other CMT subtypes and copied the model with three other disease foundations: Hannah’s Hope Fund, the Alpha 1 Project and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Postdoctoral Recruitment and Training

Within ADST’s “project champion” model, NCATS and the funding foundation’s scientific advisory board evaluate and select postdoctoral candidates. These candidates then commit to a two- to three-year residency with the possibility of extension beyond the original term.

Collaborative Project Execution

ADST program staff work with disease foundations to create specific projects for a dedicated postdoctoral researcher. These efforts involve:

  • Establishing an agreement on assay design concepts.
  • Exchange of reagents.
  • Regular conference calls and face-to-face meetings with foundation scientists to review data and obtain feedback on progress.

Last updated on November 8, 2023