Arkansas ECHO ISPCTN Site

The vast majority of research conducted in children in the United States (US) today does not include children living in the 24 IDeA eligible states/territories identified by the National Institutes of Health such as Arkansas. Consequently, findings may not be generalizable to a substantial proportion of children who carry the highest disease burdens such as obesity, diabetes, pre-maturity, lung and neurodevelopmental disorders. Future therapeutic and non- therapeutic trials must be available to these children if their health status is to be improved. The Arkansas Children's Research Institute is prepared to immediately address the overarching program goals of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trial Network (ISPCTN) and thereby, work to close the "clinical trial gap" for children living in IDeA states. The Arkansas ECHO ISPCTN Site (AREIS) was formed to enable the participation of diverse groups of infants, children and adolescents in expertly designed, innovative clinical trials of the highest quality and scientific value. We will leverage our unique patient base, intellectual capital and established inter-institutional resources to enhance pediatric clinical trials funded by the NIH and other supported research. Our established clinical trial enterprise and cadre of senior pediatric clinical investigators will enable us to explore the impact and intersection of ontogeny, environmental exposure and disease in four high priority areas: upper and lower airway disease; obesity; neurodevelopment and pre-, peri- and postnatal development. AREIS will improve the health of children of Arkansas and beyond by systematically addressing the unique health challenges of IDeA state populations.

AREIS is supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UG1OD024945.

Directors