Research
University Pediatricians | Michigan
The Central Michigan University College of Medicine/University Pediatrics Clinical Research Institute (CRI) is the nexus for clinical and preclinical research at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Our History
The CRI (formerly the Children’s Research Center of Michigan (CRCM)) was established in 1996 with a mandate to “advance knowledge in the science and art of medicine in order to improve methods to prevent, cure and treat childhood diseases.”
For more than 25 years, the CRI has proudly provided the support and resources necessary for our faculty and clinician-scientists to develop novel treatments and cures that positively impact the lives of their young patients and families in the Detroit community.
The Central Michigan University College of Medicine has, since January 1st 2020, served as the academic partner for the CRI, and shares the passion of the institute and its faculty in the tireless pursuit of this goal. This partnership has enabled the CRI to expand the scope of our impact to children throughout south-central Michigan.
Our Mission & Vision
To serve as a preeminent center of excellence for pediatric research that will advance clinical care, provide children and their families with access to cutting-edge treatment options, and improve the lives of children in Detroit and beyond.
Our Team
Karin Przyklenk, PhD
Scientific Director & Carman and Ann Adams Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research; Professor of Pediatric Science, CMU
Gwyn Kropp
Executive Director
Karen Pilarski
Associate Director, Sponsored Program Services
Jason Czachor
Associate Director, Clinical Research Services
Angela Bierkamp
Clinical Research Coordinator
Michelle Oliva
Budget Analyst
Ronald Thomas, PhD
Senior Biostatistician
Ahmad Farooqi, PhD
Biostatistician
Karen Cason
Administrative Assistant
Our Approach
The CRI is dedicated to providing our talented cadre of clinician-scientists and trainees with a comprehensive and seamless network of support that will assist in:
- planning, developing and executing research proposals that have the potential to transform the field;
- disseminating the outcomes of this cutting-edge research to the global scientific community; and
- translating these discoveries to advance pediatric patient care.
Core Services Include:
- Consultation on grant preparation, including identification of funding sources and communication as required with potential sponsors;
- Mentorship, training and support on all aspects of research design, protocol execution, data collection and management, statistical analysis, and dissemination of results in peer-reviewed manuscripts and at top-tier symposia and conferences; and
- Grant administration (including pre- and post-award management), together with regulatory assistance and oversight.
Our Partners
- The CRI and its faculty and staff are proudly affiliated with Central Michigan University College of Medicine, under the leadership of Dean George Kikano, MD.
- The CRI gratefully acknowledges the generous support provided by The Children’s Foundation, the Festival of Trees and the Evergreen Endowment.
The CRI has a Direct Impact on the Health of Children in Detroit: Spotlight on COVID-19
The CRI, in partnership with the Children’s Foundation, ‘touches’ all research conducted at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Our research has yielded substantial benefits to children in our community and beyond. For example, our faculty are contributing to state-of-the-art discoveries aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19:
Dr. Usha Sethuraman, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, is co-leader of a prestigious federally funded study seeking to identify children at high risk of developing serious and life-threatening COVID-19-related disease.
Dr. Jocelyn Ang, an infectious disease specialist and Detroit ‘Health Care Hero’, is at the forefront of the development of new treatments for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a severe consequence of COVID-19 in young patients.
Dr. Sabrina Heidemann, an expert in pediatric critical care, partnered with colleagues across the nation to demonstrate the ability of COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the most serious consequences of COVID in adolescents, including hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, the need for life support, and death. This landmark study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has been published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
Our Advisory Board
The operations of the CRI are guided by a distinguished panel of advisors and leaders from The Children’s Foundation, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, University Pediatricians, and Central Michigan University.
Larry J. Burns
President and Chief Executive Officer
Children’s Foundation
Kathy Donovan, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Chief Executive Officer
Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Mark Harrison, MBA
Chief Administrative Officer
University Pediatricians
George Kikano, M.D.
Vice President of Health Affairs/Dean, College of Medicine
Central Michigan University
Karin Przyklenk, Ph.D.
Scientific Director, CMED/UPeds Clinical Research Institute, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Professor of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Central Michigan University
Gwyn Kropp
Executive Director, Operations and Finance
CMED/UPeds Clinical Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics
Ed McKee, PhD
Professor of Foundational Sciences,
College of Medicine, Central Michigan University
Kathleen Meert, M.D.
President, University Pediatricians
Chair of the Discipline of Pediatrics, CMU
Specialist-In-Chief/Pediatrician-in-Chief
Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Sethu Reddy, M.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Research
College of Medicine, Central Michigan University
Lalitha Sivaswamy, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics, Central Michigan University
Chief, Pediatric Neurology
Children’s Hospital of Michigan
David Weindorf
Vice President Research and Innovation
Central Michigan University Office of Research and Graduate Programs
CMU Department of Pediatrics Progress Report 2020
To view faculty publications, grants, awards, and other progress by division, please visit our individual division pages.
