2023

Research Annual Report

Research, Innovation and Discovery Woven Into Everything We Do

From Our Director

One of the perks of my job is sharing the Research Annual Report on behalf of the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation. It is quite a proud moment, as each edition boasts our health system’s highest achievements in science, research and discovery over the past year.

And, we have much to be proud of, having achieved several firsts. In addition to emerging from the COVID pandemic as one united institution that helped to address a major public health problem, Cincinnati Children’s was named No. 1 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2023-24 rankings. This remarkable honor recognized our organization’s dedication to “changing the outcome together,” but while it’s a privilege to be No. 1, we remain attuned to the incredible responsibility it brings to always be the best.

By The Numbers

2023 At a Glance

The Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation serves as one of the nation's most significant sources of pediatric scientific discovery and innovation.

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$304.7M

External Funding

4,729

Publications

1,097

Faculty

$25M

Philanthropic Support

Top Scientific Achievements

The science of pediatrics is the science of humanity. That science is not limited to the diseases and conditions that strike during childhood. Our mission also includes seeking to understand the driving factors of adult disease that so often trace their roots to childhood.

The full spectrum of pediatric research not only extends beyond the legal age of adulthood, it reaches far beyond the traditional definitions of medicine to include the many social and environmental determinants of health. These factors,which have been shown through epigenetics to change the very blueprints of our lives, require exploration every bit as rigorous as the technological advances that allow us to study the entire genome of one cell to the next.

That’s the mission we pursue as we seek to change the outcomes for children. Together.

The following stories illustrate how the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation supports the work of dedicated faculty who work across the full spectrum of discovery: from basic to preclinical and clinical research to implementing best practices, driving public health improvements, and achieving health care equity and justice.

Basic Science

Chasing the Undiscovered

From secrets of brain development to mysteries of somite segmentation, scientists at Cincinnati Children’s pursue deeper understanding of the human condition.

Preclinical Science

Building the Platforms of Discovery

From developing advanced organoids to inventing ways to deliver therapy to muscle tissues, Cincinnati Children’s researchers are leaders in creating new tools that can accelerate the chase for cures.

Clinical Science

The Art of Moving Discovery from Bench to Bedside

Be it carrying out classic three-phase clinical drug trials or following other closely regulated avenues of human subjects research, investigators at Cincinnati Children’s are leaders in translating lab breakthroughs into real treatments that improve outcomes.

Clinical Implementation

Accelerating Best Practices

From advancing the use of virtual reality training to preventing cardiac arrest during intensive care, clinician-scientists at Cincinnati Children’s strive to be the best at getting better.

Population Health and Equity

A Quest to Improve Outcomes for All Children

Be it addressing inequities in hospital care, remaining ever-vigilant about disease outbreaks, or applying research expertise in new ways to achieve population scale impact, science at Cincinnati Children’s extends well beyond our walls.

50 Remarkable Discoveries and Accomplishments

This year, investigators produced more than 4,700 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and other publications outlining their groundbreaking research dedicated to improving child health.

View All Scientific Achievements

A Deeper Commitment to Health Justice & Eliminating Health Inequities

The new Michael Fisher Child Health Equity Center will build partnerships and expand research to address challenges, starting with the region’s 10 most disadvantaged communities.

The primary goals of the center are to build upon and accelerate a track record of community health commitment at Cincinnati Children’s—and to do so in a way that forges a much deeper bond within a network of families, care providers, agencies and community leaders who share the goal of eliminating health inequities and achieving health justice.

The Fisher Center represents the next big leap forward at Cincinnati Children’s to bring many important threads of progress into a full tapestry that can foster a bolder impact on community health and health equity.

Learn More About the Michael Fisher Child Health Equity Center

Innovation Ventures

Cincinnati Children’s Innovation Ventures is a resource dedicated to helping employees navigate the complex journey of getting their ideas and innovations to the commercial market so that they can improve patient care and public health.