Heart Institute Research Core (HIRC)

The Heart Institute Research Core (HIRC) works with industry partners and other external funders to improve the care and clinical outcomes of pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease, and to advance the academic mission of the Heart Institute by:

• Optimizing infrastructure to maximize program sustainability and growth 
• Matching investigators' specific interests and publication goals with available industry sponsored clinical trials
• Utilizing knowledge and relationships with industry partners to develop new strategies for better outcomes and provide greater opportunities to meet patient-specific needs
• Functioning as a patient destination for research and clinical care based on demonstrated clinical trial program success

Our goal is to improve the care of pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease and promote the Heart Institute Research Core as a global leader in improving pediatric and adult congenital cardiovascular related outcomes. We achieve this by establishing industry partnerships and participating in innovative, novel clinical research trials that attract patients to seek care at Cincinnati Children’s.

Therapeutic Areas

Site Participation Services

Investigational Drug Service (IDS)

The Cincinnati Children's Investigational Drug Service (IDS) provides services customized to each research protocol conducted at the hospital. These services include randomization, inventory maintenance, all aspects of drug accountability, compounding and preparation of blinded dosage forms, developing pre-printed order forms and dispensing investigational drugs according to protocol. The IDS is responsible for both inpatient and outpatient investigational medication dispensing for industry sponsored, grant funded and investigator-initiated protocols.

Schubert Research Clinic (SRC)

The Schubert Research Clinic (SRC) is located on the first floor of the Clinical Sciences Pavilion (T-Building) on the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center main campus. The clinic is a welcoming and bright space conveniently located between the main hospital and the research buildings. This space brings together all services supporting clinical trials in one location making the process of planning and conducting trials convenient for both investigator and participant.

Access to the Schubert Research Clinic is open to any clinical researcher with a currently approved IRB study.

Cardiovascular Imaging Core Research Laboratory (CICRL)

The Cardiovascular Imaging Core Research Laboratory includes five dedicated research study rooms for cardiac and vascular ultrasound procedures, non-ultrasound vascular testing for arterial stiffness and endothelial function, and exercise testing.

The vascular core has a dedicated reading room for offline analysis using storage and measuring softwares Digisonics DigiView, Medical Imaging Applications Carotid and Brachial Analyzers, Merge VERICIS, GE EchoPac, Philips Q Lab, TomTec, and Syngo.

Imaging Resource Center (IRC)

The Imaging Research Center is an interdisciplinary research laboratory, operated by the Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation (CCRF) and the Department of Radiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the purpose of which is to conduct research in medical imaging related to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in children and young adults.

The IRC provides access to advanced analytical imaging and image post-processing methods for collaborators involved in basic and clinical research at Cincinnati Children’s and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (UCCOM) to advance the research goals of both institutions.

Heart Institute Biorepository (HIBR)

HIBR is an initiative to create a pediatric and congenital cardiology biobank.

The overarching objective of the HIBR is to facilitate investigator-initiated basic, translational, clinical and outcomes research by combining tissue specimens with exquisite clinical phenotype information on patients with pediatric and congenital heart disease.

The HIBR infrastructure will accelerate and optimize research productivity and provide opportunities for large-scale programmatic research initiatives.

The findings will improve our ability to identify risk factors, predict outcomes and contribute to the development of new therapeutic targets. Ultimately, these studies will facilitate the clinical and biological understanding of this complex patient population.

HIRC CRO services

• Project Management: Dedicated Project Manager to effectively plan and execute the overall research study to ensure high-quality data and timely completion by determining project feasibility, monitoring budget, assigning staff, providing leadership and serving as the point of contact for all project communication.
• Clinical Research Coordinator: Experienced research professionals who coordinate, plan, and execute study visits of eligible patients while assuring the highest standards of protocol implementation, data collection, and reporting
• Regulatory: Dedicated Regulatory Specialists facilitate regulatory activities to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.
• Data Management: Data Management Specialists, Coordinators and Programmers utilize validated, computerized data management systems with capabilities for distributed and central data entry, editing and reporting of data.
• Statistical Support: Master’s- and PhD-level biostatisticians provide statistical support for HIRC studies and are responsible for various aspects of data analysis.

Site Feasibility / Site Selection Facts: Download the PDF

Interested in Partnering With Us?

Contact us via email: HIRC@cchmc.org