Translational Research + Design Convening
Translational Research + Design Convening
Friday, December 12, 2025
9am–12pm
Institute of Design at Illinois Tech
3137 South Federal Street
Chicago, Illinois
Join us for this first-of-its-kind convening dedicated to fusing design with translational science. Together, we’ll explore how human-centered design methods and translational science approaches can be combined to strengthen the development and implementation of effective healthcare interventions. This gathering creates a safe and playful space for design and translational scientists to meet, connect, and discover innovative ways to collaborate that advance translation from research to impact.
About the Convening
Led by ITM TRIO researchers Dr. Raj Shah, Dr. Santosh Basapur and Zach Pino, translational medicine researchers and human-centered systems designers will collaborate to:
- Practice human-centered and behavioral approaches to intervention discovery, implementation, and dissemination
- Shape future translational science strategies through cross-disciplinary collaboration
- Build strategic partnerships and national leadership
AGENDA
8:45am : Registration and Breakfast
9:15am : Call to Action by Dr. Raj Shah
9:45am : Facilitated Ideation Sessions
11:30am : Closing Discussion
12:00pm : Lunch and Networking
WHY PARTICIPATE?
A call for human-centered systems designers and translational science researchers
• Gain insight into systems thinking and design approaches.
• Improve discovery, adoption, and plausibility of interventions across Chicago and beyond.
• Position yourself as an interdisciplinary leader in integrating design and translational science.
• Influence how design advances the translational research pipeline — from early-stage discovery to implementation and dissemination.
• Shape the intersection between design practice and translational science—an area with huge untapped potential.
• Define a new research area, applying design methods to accelerate scientific translation and promote patient and community benefit.
• Contribute to a framework and white paper that will inform the next generation of translational science initiatives.
• Be featured in event documentation, digital media, and potential peer-reviewed publications or policy briefs emerging from the convening.
• Become a thought leader in an expanding field with growing funding and policy attention.
• Identify partners to co-develop NIH and NCATS grants, patient-engagement initiatives, and multi-institutional demonstration projects that meet ITM and NCATS priorities.
• Develop networks for multisite proposals, pilot awards, and implementation projects through transdisciplinary collaboration.
WHAT IS TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE?
Diagram of the Translation Process from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
A Five-Step Process
Translational science, sometimes referred to as “bench to bedside (and back),” translates scientific discoveries (from the laboratory, or bench) to medical treatments for patients (bedside). This process, which isn’t always linear and can involve a continuous feedback loop, includes five major steps:
T1: Basic Science Research (“the bench”):
T2: Translation to Humans (preclinical research)
T3: Translation to Patients (clinical research)
T4: Translation to Practice (clinical implementation)
T5: Translation to Community (public health)
Translational science is focused on understanding the scientific and operational principles underlying each of the above steps, turning observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public.
The significant complexity and collaboration embedded in this cycle demonstrate a huge potential to benefit from design approaches.
REGISTER
SPONSOR
The Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM)
This project is led by the Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), a partnership between the University of Chicago and Rush in collaboration with Advocate Aurora Health, Illinois Tech, Loyola University Chicago, and Endeavor Health that’s fueled by almost $35 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
The Institute for Translation Medicine (ITM) is part of a network of more than 60 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported sites across the country working to slash the time it takes to develop and share new treatments and health approaches.
