Spectrum is a Stanford University independent research center funded in part by an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). Its goal is to accelerate and enhance medical research, from basic discovery to improved patient care.

Spectrum's core mission is to transform the research and educational enterprise at Stanford University in order to optimally support clinical and translational research (CTR). Spectrum uses the outstanding and diversified interdisciplinary resources of the University to streamline, accelerate, and promote the translation of basic discoveries into practical solutions that improve human health in the community, and to educate the next generation of CTR leaders to ensure more effective translation in the future.

These goals are being achieved through a series of coordinated and transformative changes in our educational and mentoring programs, institutional governance structure, research support infrastructure, and the institutional culture overall.

Twelve highly coordinated programs, each led by a dedicated senior investigator and educator, emphasize three critical components of Stanford's CTR effort: innovation, education, and optimization. These twelve programs (listed on the Program Leadership page) are responsible for Spectrum's efforts.

Spectrum serves faculty throughout the University and clinical research personnel at Stanford in the:

• School of Medicine
• Stanford University Medical Center
• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH)
• Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS)