PROJECT SUMMARY
The mission of the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN) is to improve the health of children and adults with structural
congenital heart defects, as well as children with acquired heart disease through multi-center clinical research.
The Emory University Clinical Research Center combines the strengths and experience of Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta, the Emory Adult Congenital Heart Center, and Emory University School of Medicine with
the goal of participating in a cooperative and interactive manner with the other Clinical Research Centers, the
NHLBI, and the DCC to carry out the mission of the PHN. The specific aims of the Emory Clinical Research
Center are 1) to participate as a core site in multi-center studies evaluating medical, interventional and surgical
therapies related to pediatric heart diseases and congenital heart diseases across the lifespan, 2) to provide a
training platform for fellows, junior faculty, and nurses, 3) to support the development of novel techniques and
methodologies, 4) to ensure diverse perspectives and 5) to promote dissemination of study results to improve
the scientific basis for the care of affected individuals. To achieve these aims, the Emory site will propose and
lead novel scientific trials and studies, take advantage of its database and registry resources to enhance
clinical studies, utilize the unique expertise of key personnel with database and registry linkage and be an
active contributor to PHN leadership via participation in PHN committees and writing groups. The experienced
team of clinician researchers and dedicated research coordinators has a history of successful enrollment in
difficult trials, timely data submission and active participation in data analysis and dissemination of results. The
Emory Clinical Research Center brings special strengths to the PHN, including a high clinical volume of
children with heart disease and adults with congenital heart disease drawn from demographically diverse
population. Collectively, these contributions will ensure the success of the PHN.
In order to improve the lives of children with heart disease and adults with congenital heart disease, it is
necessary that cardiac programs work together to study the most important questions. The PHN provides the
best opportunity to answer these questions and promote evidence-based medicine for the care of affected
individuals. The investigators of the Emory University Clinical Research Center have the experience, skills and
desire to support the mission of the PHN and successfully carry out these vital clinical trials.