Connecticut Children’s Research Institute (CCRI) Connecticut Children’s Research Institute (CCRI) is home for our team of scientist-champions who advance the discovery of life-saving treatments that alleviate the suffering of children and youth worldwide. Our physicians, nurses, clinical providers, researchers, and faculty form an ecosystem of innovation that emerged organically from Connecticut Children’s longstanding culture of operational excellence. CCRI is advancing lifesaving, innovative treatment models utilizing the research expertise and clinical experience of our physicians, researchers, and faculty. From inflammation biology, infectious disease and regenerative medicine research to clinical research focused on hematology/oncology, rare diseases and behavioral health studies, CCRI is home to cutting edge discovery across the research continuum from bench to bedside and in support of population health. Connecticut Children’s researchers are experts in their respective specialties and at the forefront of innovative therapies and healthcare delivery. Through our commitment to high-quality care and scientific research, we provide every child across our region and beyond with an opportunity to grow and thrive. CCRI infrastructure oversees the full lifecycle of the research process while also supporting two cross-pollinating centers: 1) the Bright Ideas Research Incubator for early-career, highly promising pediatric researchers and 2) the Center for Innovation, which catalyzes partnerships with corporations and foundations to disseminate and commercialize CCRI creativity. Our Mission & Vision Across all areas of the CCRI, our daily mission is to utilize discovery, inquiry and curiosity towards achieving excellence in research and clinical breakthroughs for our patients and their families. We never stop imagining the brighter future that is possible for all children thanks to the expertise and dedication of our clinical and research scientists. We value integrity, diversity, and advocacy for pediatric medicine in all that we do. Our Foundation Over the past 25 years, Connecticut Children’s has developed fertile groundwork for the CCRI’s current robust research program. In 1996, we joined with The University of Connecticut School of Medicine to form the Department of Pediatrics, which instantly strengthened research and academic relations to help inform and guide clinical decisions for children across the state. Since then, this relationship grew to involve joint faculty, academic sub-specialty rotations, and a multitude of funded collaborations such as Mighty Mice in Space and our most recent U19 award from the NIH to support the development of a vaccine to treat syphilis. In 2016, we pursued a similar institutional relationship with the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine to hire joint faculty who could focus on translational pediatric research. Connecticut Children’s also forged a new standing within the greater Hartford community, working with collaborators such as the Village, Hartford Public Schools, and the Connecticut Department of Housing. These partnerships, in turn, have yielded substantial external support, such as our $30M Department of Education award in 2021 to expand the Promise Neighborhoods Program to Hartford, and most recently a $14M National Institutes of Health award for CAMEO: Clinical, imaging, and endoscopic outcomes of children newly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Basic & Translational ResearchOur expertise in basic & translational research promotes the exploration of basic science from the lens of our clinical expertise to facilitate next-generation treatments for pediatric diseases and disorders. Basic & Translational Research Population Health & OutcomesWe aim to advance the understanding of population health through research, education, interventions, policy, and community partnerships. With a special focus on suicide prevention, asthma management, social determinants of health, and clinical pathways to improve health outcomes, we are a recognized leader across Connecticut and New England. Population Health & Outcomes Clinical ResearchOur focus on clinical research is pursuing breakthrough studies through groundbreaking clinical trials to improve care for infants, children, and adolescents with acute and chronic medical conditions. CCRI supports rigorous clinical trials for rare diseases/endocrinology, gastrointestinal disorders, and hematological/oncological disorders. Our Fetal Care Center is home to the most cutting edge research for fetal anomaly diagnostics and surgery. Clinical Research Core Services & AdministrationConnecticut Children’s Research Institute is supported by an incredible team of administrators and research staff through our Clinical Trials Core, Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP), and Research Operations & Development. Other support programs include our Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab, biostatistical and natural language processing cores. Core Services & Administration Frequently Asked Questions Departments & DivisionsMany of Connecticut Children’s clinical divisions are committed to discovery through research. Learn more about research taking place in these Departments & Divisions. Research EducationConnecticut Children’s provides internship opportunities for high school, undergraduate, graduate, medical and post-doctoral students who have a research interest. Learn more about educational opportunities. Research News and StoriesNew Startling Numbers Show Impact Of COVID-19 Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome In Children Connecticut Children’s Intensive Care Physicians Warn “Hot Spot” States of Spike in New Cases in Newly Published New England Journal of Medicine Study Connecticut Children’s physicians recently co-authored an important study about a newly described inflammatory syndrome appearing in children across the nation 2-4 weeks after a COVID-19 infection or exposure. The syndrome has since been named multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C. There is now concern the number of these cases may rise given the latest spikes in infection rates in states in across the country. Learn More > World’s First Gene Therapy Clinical Trial for Glycogen Storage Disease Approved by FDA This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the world’s first gene therapy clinical trial for Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD). This ground breaking clinical trial focusing on GSD Type Ia will be hosted by the GSD Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and UConn Health under the direction of leading pediatric endocrinologist and scientist David Weinstein, MD, MMSc. Learn More > Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Now One Step Closer Toward Finding a Cure for IBD Thanks to a Seven-Figure Gift to Create First Endowed Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Thanks to an extraordinarily generous seven-figure gift from the Mandell-Braunstein family, the Center for Digestive Diseases at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center has established The Mandell-Braunstein Family Endowed Chair for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The gift will allow the Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Connecticut Children’s to expand both its research and clinical treatment efforts, which have already earned the Gastroenterology Division a designation as one of the best in the nation from U.S. News and World Report. Learn More >
