EMPHASIS AREAS OF THE RESEARCH BASE

The CFRTC and CF RDP membership has a research base which totals over $38 million in direct costs annually for active ongoing individual research grants as well as $23 million in programmatic infrastructure grants. We have identified ten areas of research emphasis as outlined below. Emphasis areas are defined as a common research interest consisting of at least 3 collaborating and independently funded investigators who are benefitting from one or more biomedical core services and/or receiving pilot funding.

1. Understanding effects of CFTR modulators on CF physiology and clinical outcomes
2. Defining problems affecting aging modulator-treated PwCF and how to optimize their care
3. Optimizing outcome measures, biomarkers, cost effectiveness analyses, statistical approaches, and study designs for clinical trials
4. Understanding factors that affect growth & nutrition in children with CF with and without CFTR correction
5. Understanding CF intestinal disease, with a focus on the GI microbiome and CFTR correction
6. Translating laboratory findings to human trials
7. Understanding CF metabolic dysfunction, including islet cell pathology and CFRD
8. Understanding CFTR dysfunction’s effects on the initiation and resolution of inflammation
9. Preventing nephrotoxicity and understanding the effects of CFTR on renal function
10. Biology and genetic evolution of CF pathogens and microbial resistance