As part of the RMIP program, study data generated by investigators and the IDCCH are expected to be shared with the research community through BioData Catalyst (BDC). A new short-form video tutorial on the BDC YouTube Channel walks through the full data-sharing process.
The first step is registering your study with dbGaP. The study registration process varies based on data types, study design, and applicable data-sharing policies and the BDC Data Management Core will connect you with the appropriate NIH Program Administrators to guide you through the process. Registration itself does not release data to the research community, so even if your study is still enrolling participants or collecting data, you can and should register now rather than wait for study completion or manuscript publication as registration timelines can be lengthy. Starting early is the best way to stay ahead and the BDC team will be reaching out to each study team to coordinate this.
RMIP Research Spotlight
Next quarter’s spotlight will feature Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Garza will present on his clinical trial of volar fibroblast transplantation into the stump site of lower-limb amputees. Register Today for the event on Thursday, June 25th at 1:00-2:00 PM ET.
Presentation Abstract: Amputees who use prosthetics may find them painful or result in skin problems at the stump site. In part, this arises because the skin at the stump site is not naturally designed to bear weight, making it difficult for the site to adapt to pressure or tolerate mechanical loads. Preclinical work demonstrated that volar fibroblast transplantation increases markers of volar skin such as keratin 9 expression, epidermal thickness, and extracellular matrix remodeling, leading to skin that is more pressure resistant and less prone to breakdown. This clinical research employs a regenerative strategy in which ectopic volar fibroblasts are extracted from the palm and sole of the foot and autologously transplanted into the stump site. Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will present on an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in lower-limb amputees testing the efficacy of this approach to reduce ulceration, pain, and prosthesis-related complications, thereby improving function and quality of life for amputees.
We hope that you will be able to join us for this spotlight.
Accession IDs for Manuscript Submission
If you are preparing a manuscript, keep in mind that many scientific journals now require investigators to provide an accession number or other identifier for the shared dataset to be supplied during manuscript submission. BioData Catalyst can help generate this identifier, but the process does require study registration in advance. To avoid delays at submission, please reach out early (email to jstratford@rti.org, or come to office hours) so the team can guide you through the required steps and help ensure you have your accession number ready when your manuscript is submitted.
Publications
Lathrop KL, Yam GHF, et al., Human Corneal Stromal Stem Cell Treatment Reduces Established Opacities in Chronic Corneal Scarring. Cells. 2026 Mar 30;15(7). doi: 10.3390/cells15070615.
If you have recently submitted or published a manuscript related to your RMIP award, please submit the citation to jstratford@rti.org.
Meet with Us
BDC now has office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET to assist investigators with aggregating and harmonizing RMIP study data on the ecosystem.
We continue to coordinate one-on-one meetings with study teams to discuss a data linkage strategy. This strategy will ensure that the cell characterization data is prepared and formatted appropriately for seamless sharing with the study team. The goal is to facilitate efficient data transfer and analysis.
Jeran Stratford
May 2026 RMIP Updates
Sharing RMIP-Generated Scientific Data
As part of the RMIP program, study data generated by investigators and the IDCCH are expected to be shared with the research community through BioData Catalyst (BDC). A new short-form video tutorial on the BDC YouTube Channel walks through the full data-sharing process.
The first step is registering your study with dbGaP. The study registration process varies based on data types, study design, and applicable data-sharing policies and the BDC Data Management Core will connect you with the appropriate NIH Program Administrators to guide you through the process. Registration itself does not release data to the research community, so even if your study is still enrolling participants or collecting data, you can and should register now rather than wait for study completion or manuscript publication as registration timelines can be lengthy. Starting early is the best way to stay ahead and the BDC team will be reaching out to each study team to coordinate this.
RMIP Research Spotlight
Next quarter’s spotlight will feature Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Garza will present on his clinical trial of volar fibroblast transplantation into the stump site of lower-limb amputees. Register Today for the event on Thursday, June 25th at 1:00-2:00 PM ET.
Presentation Abstract: Amputees who use prosthetics may find them painful or result in skin problems at the stump site. In part, this arises because the skin at the stump site is not naturally designed to bear weight, making it difficult for the site to adapt to pressure or tolerate mechanical loads. Preclinical work demonstrated that volar fibroblast transplantation increases markers of volar skin such as keratin 9 expression, epidermal thickness, and extracellular matrix remodeling, leading to skin that is more pressure resistant and less prone to breakdown. This clinical research employs a regenerative strategy in which ectopic volar fibroblasts are extracted from the palm and sole of the foot and autologously transplanted into the stump site. Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will present on an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in lower-limb amputees testing the efficacy of this approach to reduce ulceration, pain, and prosthesis-related complications, thereby improving function and quality of life for amputees.
We hope that you will be able to join us for this spotlight.
Accession IDs for Manuscript Submission
If you are preparing a manuscript, keep in mind that many scientific journals now require investigators to provide an accession number or other identifier for the shared dataset to be supplied during manuscript submission. BioData Catalyst can help generate this identifier, but the process does require study registration in advance. To avoid delays at submission, please reach out early (email to jstratford@rti.org, or come to office hours) so the team can guide you through the required steps and help ensure you have your accession number ready when your manuscript is submitted.
Publications
Lathrop KL, Yam GHF, et al., Human Corneal Stromal Stem Cell Treatment Reduces Established Opacities in Chronic Corneal Scarring. Cells. 2026 Mar 30;15(7). doi: 10.3390/cells15070615.
If you have recently submitted or published a manuscript related to your RMIP award, please submit the citation to jstratford@rti.org.
Meet with Us
BDC now has office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET to assist investigators with aggregating and harmonizing RMIP study data on the ecosystem.
We continue to coordinate one-on-one meetings with study teams to discuss a data linkage strategy. This strategy will ensure that the cell characterization data is prepared and formatted appropriately for seamless sharing with the study team. The goal is to facilitate efficient data transfer and analysis.