Three Minnesotans -- including two with CTSI connections -- were among the 47 new projects funded through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's (PCORI) Pipeline to Proposal Awards program.
The program awards funding to build partnerships among patients, other healthcare stakeholders, and researchers who share interest in a particular health issue and a desire to participate in patient-centered outcomes research.
CTSI grant recipient Kathleen Culhane-Pera, MD, MA, of West Side Community Health Services, received nearly $15,000 to focus on identifying effective treatments for Hmongs suffering from gout and gout-related co-morbidities. In 2014, Dr. Culhane-Pera received a CTSI Community Collaborative Grant to support research on a similar topic, which she conducted in collaboration with Robert Straka, Pharm.D., of the University of Minnesota's College of Pharmacy.
Plus, CTSI Associate Director Milton Eder, PhD, received nearly $15,000 to engage community members and stakeholders to address challenges surrounding aging-in-place. Dr. Eder directs CTSI's Populations and Community Engagement function, which provides an infrastructure so community and University researchers can work together to address health issues in ways that are truly relevant to the community.
PCORI awarded $10,700-15,000 to each Tier 1 project, totaling at nearly $700,000. Projects focus on 35 health issues, including liver cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injuries, and chronic pain.