A new research office in GW’s medical school – a college typically home to lab-based studies – will redouble faculty efforts to find better ways to treat patients.

The Office of Clinical Practice Innovation in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences will unite offices across GW to improve clinical practice research – work that could attract government dollars or spur business opportunities.

The small office, which will consist of four faculty members by the end of the summer, is the latest outpost of GW’s growing research enterprise, which has looked to build up its focus on cancer, neuroscience and autism research lately.

Jesse Pines, the office’s director, said the group will help researchers apply for grants to innovate new patient care delivery models and work “directly with investigators on promising projects.” It will also help recruit new faculty.

“To us, innovative means a practice innovation that is new and effective, or potentially effective in improving care delivery,” Pines said . “Our goal is to develop and help assess innovations in practice delivery.”

 The office will spur collaboration between the medical school, the GW Hospital and the Medical Faculty Associates for research. The Office of Technology Transfer will also get involved, as many of the innovations could have commercial possibilities, Pines said.

“By commercializing these innovations with business partners, the benefit of GW innovations are shared across the world,” said GW spokesman Kurtis Hiatt. “Thus any OCPI innovations would not only benefit patients in GW hospitals, but also patients worldwide.”

Medical school administrators announced last year they would update its curriculum for the fall of 2014  to stress patient care and more clinical duties for students. Pines said the office will recruit students to work on internal projects, and that students working with faculty associated with the office could also team up.