Advanced Platform Technology Research Center

216.707.6421
Ronald J. Triolo, PhD, Executive Director

The Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (LSCVAMC) is one of 13 designated Centers in the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service. The APT Center focuses on serving Veterans with sensorimotor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, or limb-loss using cutting edge technologies and rehabilitation techniques, translating them from proof of concept to viable clinical options. Advances in material science, microfabrication and microsystem design, neural engineering, mechanics, and communications are captured and integrated for applications in prosthetics/orthotics, neural interfacing, wireless health monitoring and maintenance and all forms of enabling and emerging technologies. The APT Center is able to provide or facilitate access to the following resources:

• Neural modeling and analysis of interface designs 
• Polymer and bioactive material development
• Microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems design and fabrication
• 3-D and laser printing/prototyping, mechanical testing and dynamic simulation 
• Pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo verification of device performance
• Circuit, sensor and software design and fabrication 
• System validation and design control documentation
• Professional engineering support and project management
• Technology transfer assistance
• Administrative support for intellectual property protection, regulatory affairs, and quality systems.

The APT Center was established in 2005 as a collaboration between the LSCVAMC and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Over 50 Investigators and Clinician Scientists at the LSCVAMC, CWRU, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, University of Michigan, and Cornell University are affiliated with the APT Center and contribute to its mission: to advance innovative technologies along the translational pathway that address the health and independence of disabled Veterans.

Blood, Heart, Lung, and Immunology Research Center

216.368.5678
Kenneth E. Remy, MD, MHSc, MSCI, FCCM, Director, Blood, Heart, Lung, and Immunology Research Center

The Blood, Heart, Lung, and Immunology Research Center is a joint venture of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland that is dedicated to establishing a comprehensive, collaborative program that champions transformative leadership in research, training, and education for discovery scientists. The center was officially formed in 2023 with a center kickoff in spring 2024. This new research center brings together the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) and comprehensively adds hematology and immunology discovery research with an endeavor to foster a culture of innovation that will propel advancements in understanding and treating blood, heart, lung, and immunologic diseases.

Case Cardiovascular Center

216.368.5678
Sanjay Rajagopalan, MD, Director, Case Cardiovascular Research Institute
Aaron Proweller, MD, Associate Director, Case Cardiovascular Research Institute

The Case Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) is home to investigators focused on translating fundamental discovery from the bench to pre-clinical models and, ultimately, first-in-human studies. Major research areas include inflammation, metabolism, myopathy cardiovascular development, angiogenesis and stem cell biology. The diversity and collaborative interactions within the Institute and broader university community foster a multidisciplinary approach to basic and translational research. We set ourselves apart from other programs by embracing a strong culture of developing and promoting the careers of young scientists and physician-scientists in clinical, translational and basic research.

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Phone: 216.368.1122
Gary Schwartz, MD, Director

The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that brings together Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and Cleveland Clinic to unlock new possibilities in cancer research and transform the landscape of cancer care. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Case CCC serves the cancer research and clinical needs of an urban manufacturing and rural agricultural region of 15 northeast Ohio counties containing over 4 million people.

Through Case CCC, our consortium institutions are linked in a unified effort to understand the causes and progression of cancer and to use that understanding to develop treatments and reduce the likelihood that people will develop cancer and suffer from its consequences. We catalyze funding for collaborative, state-of-the-art cancer research, foster the next generation of cancer researchers through innovative training and education programs, and support community outreach and engagement initiatives to reduce the cancer burden in our community and beyond.

Case CCC's mission is to foster high-impact cancer research to improve lives across our communities through cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, cure, and survivorship by:

• Improving the prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of cancer through discovery, evaluation, and dissemination.
• Promoting cancer research in basic, translational, clinical, and population sciences that is transdisciplinary, translational, and collaborative. 
• Catalyzing translational research through innovative investigator-initiated clinical trials, which are rapidly disseminated into the community for the advancement of cancer care to the residents of northern Ohio.
• Developing cancer prevention and control activities that build on the expertise of the center and result in a reduction of cancer morbidity and mortality in northern Ohio and the nation.
• Enhancing, integrating, and elevating the pipeline of cancer research education and career development.

Case Center for Imaging Research (CCIR)

216.844.4963
Agata Exner, PhD, Director – CCIR

Chris Flask, PhD, Co-Director - Imaging Research Core

Yong Chen, PhD, Co-Director - Imaging Research Core

The CCIR is a joint venture between Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. The overarching goal of the CCIR is to build a strong and robust research community that ignites, expands, and strengthens collaborations and translational imaging research. CCIR strives to be a leader in creating innovative and scientifically impactful imaging technologies to transform patient care.  CCIR faculty collaborate with numerous biomedical scientists, physicians, and industrial partners throughout the city of Cleveland and around the world. A critical component of the collaborative environment in the CCIR is the Imaging Research Core, which provides access to a comprehensive suite of preclinical and clinical imaging instrumentation and expertise designed to facilitate new collaborations and state-of-the-art imaging research.

The Imaging Research Core serves as a shared resource for CWRU’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC), the Cleveland Digestive Diseases Research Cores Center, and the SMART Center in the School of Nursing. The preclinical facility includes two high-resolution MRI scanners with PET capabilities, a microPET/CT scanner, state-of-the-art research ultrasound scanner, and three bioluminescence and fluorescence systems. Magnetic relaxometers are also available for high throughput screening of developmental MRI contrast agents. In addition, a novel cryofluorescence imaging system provides high resolution, 3D optical imaging capabilities. The Core also provides support for quantitative analysis of all imaging data.

A human 3T MRI scanner and a clinical ultrasound system are also available through the Core for clinical research studies. Other clinical imaging options are also available within the University Hospitals Department of Radiology. The creation of a new radiopharmaceutical facility within the CCIR, together with our existing cyclotron and radioisotope delivery system, now provide the capacity to conduct a variety of molecular PET imaging studies from preclinical animal studies all the way to routine clinical studies.

Case Center for Synchrotron Biosciences

Mark Chance, PhD, Director

Since its inception by Prof. Mark Chance in 1994 at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in NY, the Center for Synchrotron Biosciences (CSB) has provided the research community with access to state of the art synchrotron-based tools to address a range of important problems in biomedical research. With funding support primarily from the National Institutes of Health (NCRR and later NIBIB), as well as several academic and government partners, the CSB supported beamline capabilities at the original NSLS for 20 years for X-ray absorption spectroscopy, macromolecular crystallography, synchrotron infrared spectroscopy, and hydroxyl radical X-ray footprinting. These resources collectively enabled nearly 2500 publications and 2900 structure deposits in the Protein Databank from the user community, while training a generation of scientists in the application of synchrotron-based structural biology methods.

Following the closure of the NSLS in 2014, the CSB migrated operations to the new NSLS-II, a state-of-the-art 3rd-generation synchrotron facility providing 4 orders of magnitude greater photon brightness and improved stability over the original NSLS facility. In partnership with NSLS-II, and with support from the NIH and NSF, the CSB constructed and now operates the XFP (17-BM) beamline for X-ray footprinting, as part of the NSLS-II Structural Biology science program. The CSB has also increased its emphasis on multi-modal approaches to structural biology via an Integrated Biophysics program that uses the unique resources available at NSLS-II, as well as complementary tools available in the Case Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics and elsewhere in the CWRU School of Medicine. 

Center for AI Enabling Discovery in Disease Biology (AID2B)

aid2b@case.edu

Satish E. Viswanath, PhD - Co-Director

Jacob Scott, MD, DPhil - Co-Director

Shuo Li, PhD - Co-Director

The Center for AI Enabling Discovery in Disease Biology (AID2B) at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is a community of clinicians and AI-focused scientists in biomedicine who form the crux of multiscalar and multidisciplinary projects, grant proposals, and meetings resulting from AID2B. These faculty will be able to leverage deep partnerships developed through AID2B to initiate new ventures, as well as access key administrative and infrastructure resources. 

Center for AIDS Research

216.368.0271
Jonathan Karn, PhD, Director
Alan Levine, PhD, Co-Director

Since its founding in 1994, the Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Center for AIDS Research (CWRU CFAR) has been a center of excellence for both clinical and basic science AIDS research. Investigators participating in the CWRU CFAR draw on resources from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and the Joint Clinical Research Center in Kampala Uganda. As one of only 19 CFARs nationally, the CFAR plays an important role in ensuring that cutting-edge AIDS research and well-received community outreach is supported in our region of the country. Major strengths in the CWRU CFAR include international research, especially with respect to research in tuberculosis and HIV malignancy, microbicides, pathogenesis, virology, clinical trials, and training, at the national and international levels. As the first CFAR to make a major investment in international research, we have been able to expand a highly productive and long-standing scientific relationship with Makerere University, Kampala.

The CWRU CFAR shares and supports the mission of the National CFAR program to support a multi-disciplinary environment that promotes basic, clinical, epidemiologic, behavioral, and translational research in the prevention, detection, and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS. The CWRU CFAR provides: Leadership and strategic planning that promotes and supports outstanding HIV/AIDS research at our participating institutions, a vibrant series of seminars and meetings regularly bringing leaders in HIV research to our campus, laboratory cores with expertise, state-of-the-art instrumentation and technologies; pilot grant awards and mentoring to develop junior faculty interested in HIV; educational and training efforts which encompass the whole range of contemporary HIV/AIDS research; community outreach programs, and the promotion of and participation in collaborative research efforts within the national CFAR network and in Uganda.

Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology

216.791.3800, ext. 4788
Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)
Robert A. Bonomo, MD Chief, Medical Service

As antibiotic resistance has become a national and global public-health problem, top academic centers are preparing to launch ambitious programs addressing research on the basic, translational and clinical aspects of antibiotic resistance. The CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES) aims to translate research findings into clinically useful tools for the diagnosis and treatment of patients infected with multidrug-resistant (MOR) Gram-negative organisms and mycobacteria. The center’s long term goals are: 1) to continue and expand this dynamic research program directed at understanding the mechanistic bases of resistance in order to develop innovative clinical and therapeutic approaches to deal with MOR organisms; 2) to develop a strong clinical research program of translational medicine on antibiotic resistance; 3) to incorporate drug discovery, whole genomic sequencing and other rapid diagnostic technologies into the management of patients infected with MOR organisms and mycobacterial pathogens, including tracking of outbreaks and molecular epidemiology of these organisms; 4) to enhance educational activities of trainees in aspects related to antibiotic resistance; and 5) work with existing services available at the School of Medicine, University Hospitals, and the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative to disseminate research and educational activities both nationally and internationally.

Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery

The overall goal of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery is to develop an integrated drug discovery pipeline, consisting of lead generation powered by advanced AI technologies, preclinical testing in close collaboration with biomedical researchers (especially Case Western Reserve University researchers), and clinical studies using patient electronic health records. The center works closely with the Case Western Reserve University Technology Transfer Office (TTO) for both AI technology and candidate drug licensing.

The objectives for the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery are:

1. Development of advanced AI drug discovery algorithms (e.g., natural language processing, machine learning, data mining, knowledge engineering, systems biology)
2. In-vitro screening of promising candidate drugs (collaborating with biomedical researchers)
3. In-vivo testing in animal models of diseases (collaboration with wet-lab biomedical researchers)
4. “Virtual clinical trial” using large amounts of patient electronic medical records

Center for Child Health and Policy at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital

CCHP@UHhospitals.org 

Sarah D. Ronis, MD, PhD - Director

The Center for Child Health and Policy at Rainbow facilitates multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches to increase the understanding of complex relationships between social, structural, and healthcare needs that influence health outcomes. To date, our portfolio of work has used a population/public health lens to focus on the following areas:

• High impact chronic conditions of childhood including asthma, obesity, diabetes, behavioral and mental health
• Maternal/fetal/newborn and early childhood health including infant mortality, home visitation, and perinatal healthcare
• Evaluation of healthcare delivery systems innovations at the hyper-local, regional and state level

Center for Clinical Investigation

216.368.3286
Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD, Director
James Spilsbury, PhD, Academic Development Core Director

The Center for Clinical Investigation (CCI) was founded in 2007 and is part of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s Division of General Medical Sciences. The CCI serves as the academic home of Cleveland’s Clinical & Translational Science Collaborative, a partnership of 4 local institutions (Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the MetroHealth System, and University Hospitals) and member of a national consortium of approximately 66 institutions funded by the National Institutes of Health to increase the efficiency and speed of clinical and translational research across the country. 

The CCI’s mission is to enhance clinical and translational research efforts across the Cleveland area by: (1) spurring advances in knowledge of risk factors, outcomes and treatment effectiveness in the population; (2) facilitating the transfer of scientific advances to the community; and (3) developing a new generation of clinical researchers equipped with the skills needed to efficiently design, implement and interpret novel studies that address important public health questions. To accomplish its mission, the CCI provides computer systems and applications support for basic science and clinical research activities and works closely with basic science and clinical investigators in the CWRU Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Dental Medicine, as well as the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and MetroHealth System. The CCI has supported hundreds of clinical research and epidemiology projects, including local and national multicenter, longitudinal studies. The CCI has two cores that provide research support to all investigators: the Academic Development Core and Statistical Sciences Core.

The Academic Development Core manages the newly created PhD Program in Clinical Translational Science, the Master’s Degree Program in Clinical Research (Clinical Research Scholars Program - see "Clinical Research MS" tab above), and the Graduate Certificate Program in Clinical Research. The Academic Development Core also delivers seminars and short courses in clinical research and works to coordinate educational activities in interdisciplinary clinical research across the CTSC’s institutional members. The programs target investigators and other key members of the research team, including data managers and study coordinators. Training efforts in research design, research data management, statistical sciences, statistical software, and scientific communication are emphasized.

The Statistical Sciences Core provides data management and statistical support for study design and data analysis. Members who provide data management consist of skilled data managers and programmers who consult and collaborate with investigators on data collection instrument development and coding, database development and administration, data cleaning and quality assurance, statistical programming, and dataset preparation. Members providing statistical support collaborate and consult with clinical investigators on proposal development, study design, study monitoring, and data analysis. "The Statistical Sciences Core currently consists of 1 PhD biostatistician and 1 MS biostatistician. Statistical software packages that are supported by the CCI Statistical Sciences Core include SAS, SPSS, R/S-Plus, NCSS PASS and Minitab. In addition, the Statistical Science core serves as a gateway for connecting investigators with the broad expertise available through the biostatistics faculty in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences.

Center for Community Health Integration

Peter S. Hovmand, PhD, MSW - Director
CHI-Information@case.edu

The Center for Community Health Integration (CHI) conducts collaborative research and development to advance community health and integrated, personalized health care. We invest in relationships, analytical capacity, and novel ideas. Working with colleagues across multiple levels of a complex system, we are developing a shared understanding of the effects of social, environmental, and human systems, and using that understanding to improve the health of individuals, vulnerable populations, and communities.

Experience and Expertise

The CHI Center brings experience and expertise in:

• Systems science, Community-Based System Dynamics, and computational modeling
• Integrated qualitative, quantitative, and community participatory methods
• Public health, epidemiology, clinical family medicine, and social marketing
• Bioethics, history of medicine, and business
• Boundary spanning, generalism, implementation science
• Transdisciplinary systems science education

Center for Global Health and Diseases

Adam Burgener, PhD - Director

The Center for Global Health and Diseases was formed in 2002 as a result of a merger between the Center for International Health (first established in 1987) and the Division of Geographic Medicine. The new center is located on the fourth floor of the Biomedical Research Building on the Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine campus in Cleveland, Ohio. The center provides a coordinating structure to help link the numerous international health resources of the university, its affiliated institutions, and the Northern Ohio community in a multidisciplinary program of research, training and clinical application related to global health. The center brings together many disciplines at CWRU to make life better in developing countries, and thus facilitates international collaborations throughout the institution.

The Center for Global Health and Diseases links the numerous international health resources of the University, its affili­ated institutions, and the northern Ohio community in transdisciplinary programs of research and education related to global health. The scope of the Center's activities also includes education and service as these are related to molecular, clinical and population studies of human health and disease.

The Center is currently a national leader in National Institutes of Health-supported studies of the major infectious diseases of develop­ing countries. Cutting-edge approaches are implemented in order to examine the molecu­lar, genetic and immunologic basis of susceptibility to infectious diseases of public health significance - malaria, river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, HIV and other viral diseases such as Rift Valley fever. Clinical research in endemic countries is concerned with testing and implementing cost-effective public health interventions that are aimed at the control of malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (worm infections of children, elimination of lymphatic filariasis). The Center has ongoing research and educational collaborations with academic and governmental institutions in Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Kenya, Uganda, and several other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Educational programs sponsored by the Center include electives in interna­tional health, population biology, and genetics of infectious diseases (available to undergraduate, graduate and professional school students), a weekly World Health Interest Group (WHIG) seminar series, overseas rotations for graduate and professional school students, and training programs at the university and abroad for scholars from developing countries (with support from the Fogarty International Center at NIH).

The mission of the Center for Global Health and Diseases is to promote health in the world and enrich the community around CWRU.

This is accomplished by:

• bringing together experts from the university’s community that specialize in infectious diseases, epidemiology, anthropology, tropical diseases, neglected tropical diseases (dengue, dracunculiasis [guinea-worm disease], lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis [river blindness], rabies, schistosomiasis, and various helminthiases), nursing, pediatrics, etc.
• uniting university faculty in programs of collaborative research and education, student and faculty international exchanges, and community enrichment to promote health in the world and enrich the international community.

The center focuses on three main objectives that have been present throughout its history:

• developing a critical mass of creative investigators with multidisciplinary capabilities and providing them with appropriate resources and environments for basic, clinical and epidemiological research, in order to develop linkages within and beyond the university community.
• establishing an education and training program to ensure the continuing replenishment of the pool of intellectual talent in this country and to enhance the scientific proficiency of scientists from developing countries via an educational program based at the university, reaching a wide audience.
• advancing a collaborative interdisciplinary application program in international health overseas to bring together diverse disciplines, adaptation, and adoption of practices and the application of technology to underserved populations of the world.

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Center for Health Care Research & Policy

216.778.3902
Shari Bolen MD, MPH - Director

The mission of the Center for Health Care Research & Policy is to:

1. improve the health of the public by conducting research that improves access to health care, increases the quality and value of health care services, and informs health policy and practice; and

   2. lead education and training programs that promote these goals.

   Our 11 core faculty led or co-led over 20 active grants in 2022 totaling around 13 million dollars, and mentored over 40 trainees in 2022.

Center for Medical Education

216.368.1948
Lia Logio, MD, Director

The Center for Medical Education, established in 2010, provides an organizational home for teaching and learning programs in the School of Medicine and a supportive environment for those who want to develop special skills in medical education.

The Center also sponsors faculty appointments, both full- and part-time, for faculty whose roles are predominantly focused on teaching medical students and physician assistant students. These include community clinicians who welcome medical students into their clinics and practices.

The Center for the Advancement of Medical Learning (“CAML”) operates its programs under the auspices of the CMEd. CAML supports and promotes the development of teaching and lifelong-learning skills among students, faculty, staff, residents, and alumni. CAML pursues research into educational innovations to advance our knowledge of medical learning and teaching. The Center offers workshops to faculty locally, regionally, and nationally to enhance faculty teaching, research and evaluation skills.

Center for Mitochondrial Research and Therapeutics (CMRT)

cmrt@case.edu

Jason Mears, PhD - Co-Director

Xin Qi, PhD - Co-Director

The Center for Mitochondrial Research and Therapeutics (CMRT) at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine focuses on understanding mitochondrial dysfunction and its impact on various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions. 

CMRT researchers employ multidisciplinary approaches to investigate mitochondrial biology at both molecular and cellular levels, aiming to uncover new insights that drive therapeutic advancements. By leveraging collaborative efforts and cutting-edge technologies, the center is committed to developing mitochondria-targeted therapies and translating scientific discoveries into effective treatments.

The CMRT promotes interdisciplinary and programmatically focused research across departments, advancing clinical and translational studies that align with our core research priorities:

• Cancer
• Immunity, immunotherapy, and infectious diseases
• Emerging infections and global health
• Therapeutic discovery and development
• Neurological and psychiatric disorders
• Human genetics
• Physiological disease mechanisms
• Molecular structure
• Metabolic disorders

Mitochondrial Research Core

The Mitochondrial Research Core was recently established to provide expertise and access to advanced experimental approaches that support mitochondrial research projects in the School of Medicine and partner institutions. Specifically, the core provides services to examine the composition and function of mitochondrial protein complexes. 

High-end instrumentation is available to assess cellular respiration in cells and tissues. Additionally, the core offers resources to measure electron transport chain (ETC) activity in isolated complexes. The core is available to consult on all aspects of mitochondrial biology, including cellular imaging, organelle ultrastructure and various biophysical methods to evaluate numerous aspects of mitochondrial biology. 

Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology

Sudha Chakrapani, PhD - Director

The Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology (CCMSB) is a joint venture between Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, which brings together structural biologists from the Cleveland area and beyond. The central mission of the CCMSB is to enhance interactions among the structural biology and biophysics research community, strengthen collaborative research, and develop multidisciplinary educational and training programs.

The overarching goal for the CCMSB is to leverage the outstanding faculty expertise in diverse structural biology disciplines and cutting-edge shared facilities in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR and EPR), X-ray crystallography, and proteomics toward promoting team science.

Research areas of CCMSB members include cancer, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, vision loss, and pain; with a common unifying focus on structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules that impact human health.

These collaborative efforts will be geared to bring new federal grants to support research, expand shared instrumentation, and facilitate predoctoral training. An important component of the CCMSB mission is to provide hands-on training in the broad range of structural biology methods to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics

Biomedical Research Building, Ninth Floor
Mark R. Chance, PhD, Director

The Case Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics was created, in part, to strengthen Cleveland's presence in modern proteomics and bioinformatics research to make the region a leader in the field. The vision for the Center has been shaped over the past several years by the leadership of the Center's Director, Mark Chance, PhD, with over $120 million in grants awarded to the Center and its collaborators since its inception in February 2006. One of the primary goals of the CPB is to develop an infrastructure of sophisticated equipment that facilitates and maximizes shared equipment usage, as well as to offer a wide array of proteomics, and metabolomic services including protein and small molecule mass spectrometry, protein expression/interactions, systems biology, and biostatistical analyses.

The CPB has expanded its vision to include education of graduate students in systems biology and bioinformatics. The Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics developed a graduate program in Systems Biology and Bioinformatics in collaboration with Schools and Departments across the campus.

In studying proteins and metabolites, bioinformatics analysis enables researchers to take an integrated pan-omics approach for discovering networks involved in human disease. The School of Medicine has established the Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics to perform research to better understand the genetic and environmental bases of disease as well as provide new technologies to diagnose diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Utilizing bioinformatics enables researchers to take an integrated -omics approach for discovering networks involved in human disease.

New technologies in mass spectrometry are also allowing protein expression, localization, structure, post-translational modifications, and interactions to be studied in increasing detail and on a genome-wide scale. The Center is also developing and applying state-of-the-art-structural proteomics technology, metabolomic and small molecule analysis, especially for pharmacokinetic (PK) studies to support clinical, translational, and structural research.

The CPB has three major research areas: Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Metabolomics, and Macromolecular Structure.

• Proteomics and Bioinformatics faculty and staff support research in protein expression analysis, protein modifications, and protein interactions in a wide variety of biological contexts as well as develops new bioinformatics tools in Proteomics research. This includes multiple Proteomics Cores to support these activities.
• Metabolomics faculty and staff support metabolite small molecule quantification research in the CWRU community. The services provided range from drug PK studies to quantification of endogenous metabolites in clinical and preclinical samples.
• Macromolecular Structure faculty and staff supports interdisciplinary research in new methods of structure determination, the combination of computational and experimental structural biology approaches and developing and maintaining the infrastructure for macromolecular structure determination.

The CPB also offers a wide range of seminars, workshops, and possibilities for individual training.

Center for Psychoanalytic Child Development

Kimberly Bell, PhD, Director; John A. Hadden Jr. Assistant Professor of Psychoanalytic Child Development
Email: kmb207@case.edu
216.991.4472

The Center for Psychoanalytic Child Development was established in 2001 in memorial to John A. Hadden Jr., past President of the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland Center for Research in Child Development and of the Hanna Perkins School. The mission of the center is to advance the science of psychoanalytic child development at the School of Medicine.

The Center offers medical students and residents who are interested in working with children the opportunity for observational learning in the Hanna Perkins school. In addition, didactic courses, case conferences, and supervision are available to deepen students’ understanding of the relationship between physical and psychological development in the first 5 years of life. 

Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics

The Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics is within the Department of Biochemistry and the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. The center was established in the mid-nineties in recognition of the strong cadre of research laboratories at CWRU devoted to studying various aspects of RNA Biology. Our faculty includes members from multiple departments in the CWRU School of Medicine as well as researchers at Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and other affiliated hospitals.

As RNA continues to change the face of medicine, we recognize the tremendous potential of RNA research and its implications for improving human health. Our mission is to provide a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment for researchers across the Cleveland biomedical community to connect, perform pioneering research in RNA biology, and translate their discoveries into therapeutic applications.

We strive to create a vibrant and inclusive community of RNA researchers at all training levels to tackle some of the most pressing questions in RNA biology.  By organizing formal and informal seminars/journal clubs, an annual inter-departmental retreat, and related social events, we bring together RNA researchers from diverse fields to share their findings and facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Preparing trainees with the education and resources to become successful leaders in the field.

The expertise within the labs of the RNA Center provides a unique opportunity to create educational initiatives at the forefront of RNA science. Through formal courses, practical lab workshops, and coding boot camps, we provide students and researchers with the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct leading-edge RNA research. Our teaching programs are inclusive and accessible to students and researchers from diverse backgrounds and levels, from undergraduates to faculty.

Providing advanced RNA profiling methods for local RNA researchers and beyond.

Our one-of-a-kind Advanced RNA Profiling Core can implement and innovate advanced RNA methods at a fraction of the time required for individual labs to bring such methods online. The RNA core provides deep expertise in state-of-the-art technologies for RNA analysis, manipulation, and sequencing, and our team of expert scientists is dedicated to providing cutting-edge services, training, and support to researchers across the university and beyond. The RNA core serves as a collaboration engine fostering innovative RNA research projects that traverse the entire research spectrum, from basic studies to translational and therapeutic applications.

Center for the Study of Kidney Biology and Disease

Phone: 216.444.8415
John R. Sedor, MD, Co-Director
Walter Boron, PhD, MD, Co-Director
Jeffrey Garvin, PhD, Co-Director
Jeffrey Schelling, MD, Co-Director

Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) are a growing public health problem in the United States. More than fourteen percent of US adults—more than 37 million Americans—have CKD. CKD generally progresses over time and can cause cardiovascular disease, anemia, bone disease, fluid overload, and other problems. The final phase of CKD is end-stage kidney disease (ESKD)or kidney failure. To survive, patients with ESKD generally need renal replacement therapy, either dialysis or a kidney transplant. The risk of death for patients receiving dialysis is nearly eight times higher than the non-ESRD population, leading to a 20% annual probability of death. Kidney disease disproportionately affects minorities and vulnerable populations. Kidney-disease treatment is expensive and uniquely tied to federal expenditures through the Medicare entitlement program. The cost of care for ~800,000 ESKD patients is over 50 billion annually, an amount that approaches the total NIH budget. Treating all health conditions of CKD and ESRD patients consumes nearly 25% of the Medicare’s budget.

The Center’s mission is to accelerate discovery and its translation for treatment and cure of kidney diseases in an interdisciplinary environment within the rich, research environment of the CWRU School of Medicine. The faculty is an accomplished and highly interactive group of investigators, based in the adult or pediatric Divisions of Nephrology in CWRU-affiliated hospitals (Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, Stokes VAMC, University Hospitals) as well as other clinical and basic science departments at the School of Medicine and Lerner Research Institute. Research interests of the faculty include digital pathology image analysis using machine learning tools, glomerular diseases, diabetic and other chronic kidney diseases, hypertension, acid-base disturbances, genetic epidemiology, health services research, renal transplantation, health disparities research, clinical trials, and basic science focused on epithelial cell biology, solute transport, and tubule physiology.

Many Center faculty are members of the NIDDK-funded Kidney Precision Medicine Project and the APOLLO (APOL1 Long Term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Consortium), NEPTUNE (Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network) and CureGN (Cure Glomerulopathy Network) consortia, all of which use “omics” tools to generate deep molecular phenotypes for discovery of new treatment targets and biomarkers. Center faculty are also leaders of the NIDDK-funded Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) and COPE-AKI (Caring for Outpatients after Acute Kidney Injury) consortia. Research projects involve cellular, molecular biological, computational, genetic, genomic and epidemiological methods to study cell, iPSC-derived and animal models and/or patients. Projects by Center investigators use health data, culled from electronic health records, and biological samples from patients with kidney diseases to generate novel hypotheses, which can then be tested with animal models and cell lines. Members meet weekly to discuss kidney research.

The Kidney Center participates in the Cleveland Research training Network (CREATE) for Kidney, benign Urology, and classical (benign) Hematology, funded by an NIDDK U2C/TL1 grant. Training opportunities are available for undergraduate, pre- and post-doctoral students.

Cleveland Brain Health Initiative

216.368.6252
Eleni A. Markakis, PhD - Assistant Director for Scientific Programs

CBHI has the goal of engaging scientists and physician scientists across departments in each of our member institutions, to develop collaborative, impactful research that will lead to improved brain health for the residents of northeast Ohio and beyond. Our members include faculty from:

• Case Western Reserve University
• Cleveland Clinic
• Kent State University
• Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
• MetroHealth Medical Center
• Northeast Ohio Medical University
• University Hospitals 

CBHI has three mandates:

• Scientific Programs
• Education
• Outreach

Scientific Programs, like our study groups, are meant to foster novel collaborations leading to new knowledge that will impact upon lifespan brain health and the treatment of disease. Our Education mandate disseminates knowledge to undergraduate, graduate and medical students, and postdoctoral fellows representing the next generation of brain health physicians and scientists. Our Community Outreach efforts aim to make our scientific discoveries accessible and understandable to our community in such a way as to improve lifespan brain health for all.

Cleveland Digestive Diseases Research Core Center

216.368.1668
Fabio Cominelli, MD, PhD, Director

The Cleveland Digestive Diseases Research Core Center (DDRCC) is a cross-institutional and multi-disciplinary program between Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The center’s two major themes are digestive inflammation and metabolism, both of which represent well-established areas of collaborative investigation at CWRU.

The mission of the Cleveland DDRCC is to integrate, coordinate, and foster interdisciplinary research in digestive diseases by Center investigators with active, innovative, and high-quality research programs that relate to the common themes of the Center (i.e., Digestive Inflammation/Tumorigenesis and Liver Disease/Metabolism).  In fulfilling this mission, our goal is to provide the capability for accomplishments in digestive diseases research greater than those that would be possible by individual research grant support alone, and to establish the Cleveland DDRCC as a national model for excellence and highly innovative research in digestive diseases.

The DDRCC aims to enhance the basic research capabilities of center investigators and develop and implement programs to support independent development of young investigators in digestive inflammation and metabolism research. The DDRCC also seeks to attract established investigators who are not currently involved in digestive disease research to apply their expertise to this important area and help translate basic research discoveries to the clinical arena.

The Cleveland DDRCC is focused on what produces the digestive diseases that affect millions of people in the U.S., such as inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis, metabolic syndromes and obesity.

We accomplish these goals through our four cores:

• Biorepository
• Histology/Imaging
• Mouse Model
• Clinical

Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center

216.231.3257
Robert F. Kirsch, PhD - Executive Director
Ronald Riechers, MD - Medical Director

The Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center has seen significant progress over the past year and has developed a strong plan for the future in our recent RR & D Center proposal. We are excited that we have received core support for the FES Center for 25 years to continue to drive FES research, technologies, and translational opportunities.

The Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center has seen significant progress over the past year and has developed a strong plan for the future in our recent RR & D Center proposal. We are excited that we have received core support for the FES Center for 25 years to continue to drive FES research, technologies, and translational opportunities.

The FES Center is a global leader in Neurostimulation and Neuromodulation research that addresses the unmet rehabilitation needs of individuals with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders. The FES Center consists of individuals who perform and support cutting edge research projects focused on the development and clinical translation of a wide spectrum of rehabilitation interventions based on FES.

Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology

Jonathan Haines, PhD, Co-Lead
David Kaelber, MD, PhD, Co-Lead

The Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology (CICB) will advance our fundamental knowledge of human biology through the application of computational methods to large and diverse datasets. Further, the CICB will promote the translation of this knowledge into better diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prevention and delivery of healthcare.

Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative

216.368.7551
Grace A. McComsey, MD, FIDSA, Principal Investigator

The Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) of Cleveland, a collaborative among Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and its affiliated hospital systems, the Cleveland Clinic (CC), MetroHealth (MH), University Hospitals (UH), and the Louis Stokes Veterans Administration Medical Center (VA) aspires to be a catalyst for high quality clinical and translational (C/T) research both locally and nationally by changing the culture and environment of biomedical research, sharing resources and expertise, and streamlining the research process to move translational research from bench to bedside and to the community.

The CTSC of Cleveland has created a solid foundation to ensure rigorous and innovative training of the C/T workforce, to accelerate the translation of discoveries to patients, to improve the health of Cleveland, and to provide scalable models for others throughout the nation. To realize its vision, the CTSC of Cleveland proposes to engage all C/T science stakeholders, the workforce, patients and community members to collaborate locally, regionally, and nationally, to

• advance human health
• develop and cultivate the current and next generation C/T research workforce, with special focus on preparation for team science and increasing the diversity of the workforce
• promote integration of our translational processes from discovery through clinical trials, of our community throughout the research enterprise, and of special and underserved populations into C/T research across the lifespan
• increase the quality and efficiency of C/T research, particularly multi-site trials, through innovative methods and processes and strong collaboration among CTSC Hubs
• provide innovative informatics to support the training and research environment both within the CTSC and nationally. 

Commitment to collaboration and innovation in C/T research remain top priorities as the CTSC implements its aims and builds the new iteration of the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland. 

This center is funded through the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), a national consortium that is transforming how clinical and translational research is conducted. For more information about the national CTSA consortium please visit the national CTSA website.

Digestive Health Research Institute

216.368.6058

dhri@case.edu

Fabio Cominelli, MD, PhD- Director

The Case Western Reserve University Digestive Health Research Institute (DHRI) was established on July 1, 2015, under the leadership of Inaugural Director Fabio Cominelli, MD, PhD.  The DHRI  houses a robust organizational infrastructure capable of supporting and promoting interdisciplinary basic-science, translational and clinical research.

The mission of the Digestive Health Research Institute is threefold:

1. Ensure a better future for patients struggling with devastating digestive diseases by translating novel basic science discoveries into our clinics
2. Expose all levels of trainees to a meaningful research experience with the ultimate goal of promoting enhanced career interest in GI research
3. Develop stewards of GI research in the communities we serve through collaboration, resource sharing and patient care.

The DHRI aims to equip and empower global leaders in digestive disease research and treatment to provide our most valuable stakeholders –  patients – a cure.

Institute for Glial Sciences

igs-general@case.edu

Paul Tesar, PhD - Director

The Institute for Glial Sciences at Case Western Reserve University focuses on three nervous systems: the central, peripheral and enteric.

Glial cells comprise more than half of the cells in these nervous systems and work with neurons to ensure proper neurological function. Despite their importance to human health, few specialized research centers globally are dedicated to studying them.

In addition to its core scientific pursuits, the institute concentrates on developing new methods for studying glial cells and creating new classes of medicines targeting glial cells. The institute also offers education and training opportunities to students and postdoctoral and clinical fellows eager to specialize in glial cell research and medicine.

Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine

216.368.5725
Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, Director

The Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine (ITMM), which operates under the combined aegis of Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, is composed of physician-scientists and basic discovery researchers who work to acquire fundamental scientific knowledge within the field of molecular medicine. Founded in 2010, the ITMM provides physician-scientists with the opportunity for professional advancement based on their contributions to life sciences, protected from demanding clinical schedules or administrative responsibilities. The mission of the ITMM is to foster the unrestricted pursuit of new knowledge that can be cultivated as the basis for therapeutic innovation and to inspire new generations of physician-scientists.

The operation of the ITMM is based on a new model that unites academic medical centers, physician- and discovery-scientists and commercial partners to maximize the conversion of basic science discoveries into novel, high-value therapeutics. Thus, the ITMM facilitates connectivity between medical disciplines and the basic research community in order to catalyze fundamental discovery and its transformation into therapies that benefit humankind. Creativity and innovation are highly valued in the culture fostered by the ITMM. Expertise in interdisciplinary science is prioritized, including signal transduction, receptor biology, regenerative medicine, RNA biology and chemical biology, in the pursuit of cutting-edge advances that can impact human disease.

Mt. Sinai Skills and Simulation Center

216.368.0064
Andrea Bryner, BA, MSM, Administrative Director

The Mt. Sinai Skills and Simulations Center (MSSSC) is a uniting force for the advancement of healthcare education in Northeastern Ohio. Our mission is to enhance patient safety through leadership, research, and innovative interactive learner-centered experiences.

We aspire to be recognized nationally and internationally as an institution that imagines and influences the future by creating a state-of-the-art interprofessional simulation center for the education of learners and healthcare providers at any stage in their professional development. To that end SC strives to become:

• A uniting force bringing all of the regions health care institutions together
• An unparalleled educational facility
• An invaluable local and regional resource for continuing education
• A peerless research and development facility

National Center for Regenerative Medicine

Stanton L. Gerson, MD, Director

The National Center for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) is a platform to facilitate translational research, clinical application and commercialization of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and stem cell therapeutics across a consortium of institutions. NCRM is driven by three nationally ranked, medical research powerhouses, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. Through this network of researchers and clinicians, research discoveries are actively being translated into cell-based therapies for patient care.

NCRM is leading the way in Northeast Ohio in the following areas:

• Regenerative medicine and stem cell research
• Cellular manufacturing
• Clinical trials for cellular therapeutics

Global partnerships have been established with academic institutions and biotechnology companies to further expand research and discovery efforts.

NCRM Goals

• Translational Research: To support stem cell and regenerative medicine research across various disciplines, institutions and commercial entities.
• Education and Training: To develop cutting-edge education programs for researchers, clinicians, trainees and the general public. 
• Strategic Partnership: To build networks across academic, clinical, commercial and public sectors.
• Commercialization: To translate innovative technologies and cell-therapies into business opportunities.

Please email ncrm-research@case.edu for more information.

Neural Engineering Center

Dominique M. Durand, PhD, Director

The Neural Engineering Center (NEC) is a coordinated group of scientists and engineers dedicated to research and education in an area at the interface between neuroscience and engineering. They share the common goal of analyzing the function of the nervous system, developing methods to restore damaged neurological function, and creating artificial neuronal systems by integrating physical, chemical, mathematical, biological and engineering tools.

The center was started in 2001 and replaced the Applied Neural Control Laboratory (ANCL) started in 1972. The center offers breadth and depth in Neural Engineering research and education in a highly ranked biomedical engineering department and medical school. The center is located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University and its members collaborate with four major hospitals in the Cleveland area.

The center provides core facilities in tissue culture, microscopy and histology. The center facilities also include an electrode fabrication laboratory, surgical suite for acute and sterile surgery, staffed by a full-time animal technician. The center also holds several laboratories in neural interfacing, neural prosthetics, materials for neural interfacing computer modeling and as well as in-vivo and in-vitro electrophysiology. The students, research associates, and faculty can carry out research at many levels starting from cellular and molecular to animal experimentation and into the clinic. Many other facilities such as electronic design, microfabrication, and rapid prototyping are also available in collaboration with other closely related centers, the Functional Stimulation Center (FES) and the Advanced Platform development Laboratory (APT). Center members work closely with the partner hospitals and the technology transfer office of CWRU for translation and clinical implementation of solutions restore neural function such as development of electrodes for communication with the nervous system, regenerating neural tissue, restoring function in paralyzed patients, preventing seizures, motor disorders, incontinence aspiration or obstructive sleep apnea.

The center provides financial support for students through research and training grants. The graduates of this program have made significant contributions to the development and the growth of this fast-growing area of neural engineering in academic, industrial and federal institutions.

The center continues to be a leader in the field of neural engineering, and its researchers are dedicated to developing innovative solutions to restore neural function and improve the lives of those with neurological disorders.

To contact the center, please call 216.368.3978.

Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods

216.368.1738
Erika S. Trapal, PhD, FAAHB, CPAHA, Director

The Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN) at Case Western Reserve University was established in 2009 with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Built upon the foundation of two previous centers that merged to become the PRCHN - the Center for Health Promotion Research and the Center for Adolescent Health - the PRCHN seeks to foster partnerships within Cleveland’s neighborhoods for developing, testing, and implementing research strategies to prevent and reduce the burden of chronic disease. The PRCHN, midway into its second 5-year cycle of CDC funding, is a highly responsive and collaborative community-based research center that partners with public health agencies, community organizations, neighborhood leaders and residents to address significant environmental and lifestyle issues strongly linked to chronic disease and influenced by the conditions, disparities and resources of the neighborhood itself. Its faculty and staff have also served as an active partner and leader in the transformative process occurring in Cleveland around the concepts of health equity, collective action, and the understanding of multiple determinants of health.

The PRCHN supports a comprehensive research agenda that centers around food access and community nutrition, tobacco prevention, and cessation, environments supporting healthy eating and active living, place-based health and health behavior surveillance, and community-clinical linkages and chronic disease management research. This includes core research project, Freshlink, that aims to increase nutritional food access (NFA) in low-income neighborhoods throughout Cleveland. A goal of the PRCHN is to build capacity for community-based research among University and community partners by offering formal training programs (i.e., PEER Program, PRCHN Student Internship Program) monthly seminars, workshops and webinars, and by providing technical assistance, evaluation services and subject matter expertise to its community partners.

The PRCHN partners include experienced community based researchers, heads of local boards of health, more than 50 community and health organizations, neighborhood leaders and residents, and Affiliated Faculty from five schools within the University (College of Arts and Sciences, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and the School of Dental Medicine), to support the mission of the Center. Representatives from these local agencies and organizations serve on the PRCHN’s Network of Community Advisors (NOCA), offering guidance to identify emerging issues, set research and programmatic priorities, and ensure that the community’s voice informs our work. 

Skin Diseases Research Center

216.844.7834
Kevin D. Cooper, MD, Director

The mission of the Skin Diseases Research Center (SDRC) is to add value to our investigators through strength of focus on uniting basic and translational skin science. The vision of the SDRC is:

• To enhance career development and to fuel the projects of new and experienced investigators with a rich matrix of resources in order to speed the progress and enhance the quality of skin diseases research
• To generate a new knowledge base that will have a significant and sustained impact on cutaneous biology aimed at improving the quality of life of patients with skin disease
• To integrate the components and activities of the Skin Diseases Research Center (SDRC)
• To manage the fiscal operations
• To coordinate the core facilities and pilot and feasibility awarded programs
• To implement an enrichment program
• To foster new SDRC initiatives
• To translate innovative basic research to patients with skin diseases
• To facilitate utilization of genomics and informatics for skin diseases

The SDRC at Case Western Reserve University / University Hospitals (UH) Health Systems promotes cooperative interaction among investigators engaged directly in skin diseases research with those conducting state-of-the-art biomedical research in other disciplines that have relevance to skin disease. The center's primary goal is to integrate groups of investigators from Case Western Reserve, UH, and other institutions into a cohesive unit that will advance research relevant to the diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of skin diseases. The center has attracted a number of outstanding scientists and has been instrumental in developing new technologies and encouraging their timely transfer to the clinical setting. The SDRC has also developed informative educational programs in dermatologic diseases for its investigators, physicians and the public.

Swetland Center for Environmental Health

216.368.3060
Darcy Freedman, PhD, MPH, Director
swetlandcenter@case.edu

The mission of the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health is to study the complex interplay between the environment and health. The center places special emphasis on investigating the environmental determinants of health disparity and translating the findings into practices and programs that promote community and population health.

The environments in which we live, work and play have a great impact on our health. Environmental health embraces all the physical, psychosocial, and biological factors that affect health. Today, the Swetland Center continues Mary Ann Swetland's legacy, promoting awareness of the environment’s disparate impact on disadvantaged populations.

The strategic vision of the Swetland Center is:

• Promoting translational environmental health research
• Integrating environmental health science into medical education
• Engaging the community in environmental health sciences

Tuberculosis Research Unit

W. Henry Boom, MD, Director
tbru@case.edu

The Tuberculosis Research Unit (TBRU) at CWRU conducts multi-disciplinary research combining epidemiologic studies and clinical trials in TB endemic countries with modern microbiology, immunology, and genetics which is essential to make progress in the fight against TB.  The TBRU at CWRU continues to lead worldwide efforts conducting vital clinical studies for TB and addressing critical gaps in TB translational research. Our U.S. and international partners expand as our work in TB changes to meet global challenges. Our Coordinating Center continues to evolve beyond our TB research, supporting CWRU researchers from all disciplines as well as supporting operations of the Uganda-CWRU Research Collaboration. 

Visual Sciences Research Center

216.368.3823
Irina Pikuleva, PhD, Director

The Visual Sciences Research Center (VSRC) was founded at Case Western Reserve University in 1996 and its mission is to promote the study of basic and clinical problems of the eye and visual system, expectantly leading to improvements in the prevention and treatment of major blinding disorders. The VSRC now comprises a multidisciplinary and comprehensive research program in vision and ophthalmology, with 36 members in 13 different departments including Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine, Molecular Biology, Physiology and Biophysics, Neurology, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences (formerly Epidemiology & Biostatistics), Neurosciences, Pathology, and Pediatrics. VSRC scientists study basic and clinical aspects of the eye and focus on Retinal Degeneration, Aging and Diabetes, Biochemistry of Aging Lens, as well Glaucoma. Also, through multidisciplinary and comprehensive research involving both basic and clinical departments, the VSRC seeks to advance the visual sciences at the University and to promote its efforts to the scientific community.

The VSRC is supported by a National Eye Institute (NEI) funded P30 Core Grant (EY11373) and an NEI T32 Training Grant (EY007157).

The P30 grant supports three core modules in the Visual Sciences Research Center: Specialized Animal Resources, Molecular Biology and Genotyping, and Analytical Services.

Each module provides essential research support to the many Case Western Reserve University departments that comprise the VSRC, providing mouse breeding and genotyping services, high quality images, microscopy training, image analysis, high quality parafin or cryostat sections and slides, histological stains, DNA cloning and construction of expression vectors. The VSRC Core Modules are here to enhance the quality of research in the most accurate and economical manner and promote collaborations. 

Willard A. Bernbaum Cystic Fibrosis Research Center

216.368.6896
Mitchell Drumm, PhD and Michael Konstan, MD, Co-Directors

The Willard A. Bernbaum Cystic Fibrosis Research Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine dates back to 1964 when it was initially funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The center is currently supported by individual research grants from the NIH and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), as well as infrastructure grants from CFF, philanthropic support, and funds from the School of Medicine itself. 

Our investigators aspire to identify and understand the fundamental mechanisms involved in cystic fibrosis (CF) pathophysiology and to devise new therapeutics to treat the disease and its complications. This program garners about $10 million per year in direct research support and consists of a nuclear group of nearly two dozen investigators whose primary research efforts are in cystic fibrosis. 

Many other investigators around the campus also work on CF-related problems. Our center is proactive and active in recruiting and training CF scientists, with programs to encourage high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students to experience CF-related research. 

We also have physician scientist training programs for MD fellows specializing in areas such as pulmonology, endocrinology and gastroenterology. Our center’s investigations range from fundamental studies of the function of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis, to animal models of the disease, and to studies of potential new treatments in persons affected by cystic fibrosis.

Programs

National Center for Regenerative Medicine

• Regenerative Medicine and Entrepreneurship, MS

National Center for Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative Medicine Entrepreneurship (RGME)