2 physician-scientists to lead Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) announced today that Sharon M. Moe, MD and Sarah E. Wiehe, MD, MPH have assumed the roles of co-leaders of the institute that is focused on improving health in Indiana through a research partnership among the state’s leading research universities of Indiana University (IU), Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.

“Dr. Moe and Dr. Wiehe are superb researchers and leaders,” said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of IU School of Medicine “They both have years of experience running large research projects, have been program leaders within the CTSI for many years, and bring complementary expertise to the Indiana CTSI.”

The co-leaders are splitting their Indiana CTSI leadership responsibilities across the translational research spectrum. Moe is directing the earlier stages of research as it advances from the lab to the patient. Wiehe is focusing her attention on the later phases, directing research from the patient to the general population.  

Moe, a practicing kidney specialist and Director of Nephrology, has led research compliance for IU School of Medicine, as well as the clinical trials office for the department of Medicine. She has also mentored over 30 research trainees. As co-leader of the Indiana CTSI, she will utilize the combination of her basic science and clinical trial expertise to make sure all medical research is translatable. 

“All basic science projects should be designed with thoughts about how the findings will someday be implemented into patient care,” said Moe. “Preserving the pipeline of our future generation researchers is also a major goal of the Indiana CTSI.” 

Moe has also recently been treating COVID-19 patients who are developing kidney disease and sees a lot of opportunities for the Indiana CTSI to assist. 

“We are truly a multi-institutional CTSI with many strengths including the opportunity to test new medicines through our robust clinical research infrastructure,” said Moe. 

Wiehe has spent six years as director of the Community Health Partnerships program of the Indiana CTSI. She is carrying that experience into her new position by sharing learnings from the Indiana CTSI on a national scale. 

“We are doing great work in Indiana, partnering with the Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, to understand how to best engage with and serve the needs of the Indiana public. We have built a great research infrastructure and I look forward to sharing our approach and successes broadly,” said Wiehe who will also focus some of the Indiana CTSI’s efforts on prevention of disease. “As a practicing pediatrician, I’m focused on prevention. In working with children, I’ve learned that investing early in a person’s life and offering solutions focused on obstacles that keep them from good health makes a big impact.”

In addition to conducting impactful research through collaborations across the partner universities, the Indiana CTSI provides a wide range of services in support of researchers across the state, including providing pilot funding, training, and advice on research projects. It is often cited as one of the nation’s leading Clinical and Translational Sciences Institutes among the other 60 CTSIs in the United States. 

“The Indiana CTSI has assisted more than 5,000 researchers through 17,000 service offerings and trained nearly 400 future clinical and translational scientists. It also generates a tremendous return on research investment dollars for the state. For every dollar awarded to a researcher through the Indiana CTSI, $12 is returned through additional grant funding to support research as it advances to patients and more broadly to the public,” added Hess. “I’m thrilled with these two leaders and look forward to their contributions as they work across the state to elevate the Indiana CTSI to even greater heights.”

Both Moe and Wiehe report to Hess, after taking over for Indiana CTSI founding director Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD, who – after 36 years of service – retired as IU Distinguished Professor Emeritus.