# Pediatric musculOskeletal & RheumaTology Innovation COre center (PORTICO)

> **NIH NIH P30** · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · 2020 · $692,717

## Abstract

ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY - OVERALL COMPONENT
Children with pediatric rheumatic and non-inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases (PMSKD) have an urgent
need for evidence-based medical care that considers the striking differences between pediatric and adult
populations. To address these gaps in scientific knowledge, we propose to establish a Pediatric musculOskeletal
& RheumaTology Innovation COre center (PORTICO) at the Cincinnati Children' Hospital Medical Center.
Objectives of PORTICO will be to promote impactful research in PMSKD, locally and nationally, with a focus on
our well-established research programs in juvenile arthritis, lupus and juvenile fibromyalgia. Specific Aims are:
Aim 1: To promote innovation and support clinical research with advanced data science, data analytics
 capabilities, and data pipeline development.
Aim 2: To invigorate cross-disciplinary team science of the local but also national community of researchers in
PMSKD.
Aim 3: To enhance research in PMSKD by developing and offering cutting-edge assessment tools for capturing
 the benefits of health interventions and delineating PMSKD phenotypes. Advanced imaging services to support
 PMSKD research (ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, biomechanical assessment) will be
 provided, new imaging-based methods and scoring systems developed and an interactive dashboards to
 synthesize information from patient reported assessments, imaging data, novel biomarkers and traditional
 disease measures developed in support of improved shared medical decision making.
Expected result: PORTICO will create a vibrant research environment that fosters productive team science to
find answers to important scientific unknowns regarding PMKSD. Innovation will be sought by (1) developing
diagnostics for PMSKD (laboratory tests, imaging tests) and testing their integration into clinical care, and (2)
advancing evidence-based based therapies, with focus on JIA, cSLE and JFM. Spread of PORTICO findings
and increase of the local & national Research Community will be achieved by multisite research studies,
PORTICO's Outreach Program, and its Pilot & Feasibility Studies Program. Alignment with the efforts of other
CCCRs, other organizations involved in PMSKD research, and the local research environment is anticipated to
potentiate spread of ideas and innovation by PORTICO investigators

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10019332
- **Project number:** 5P30AR076316-02
- **Recipient organization:** CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Hermine I Brunner
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $692,717
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-16 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019332

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10019332, Pediatric musculOskeletal & RheumaTology Innovation COre center (PORTICO) (5P30AR076316-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10019332. Licensed CC0.

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