# Improving Minority Health in Rheumatic Disease (IMHeaRD)

> **NIH NIH P30** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2024 · $312,690

## Abstract

Project Summary – Clinical and Community Resource Core
The Clinical and Community Resource Core will build on the strong foundation established by the P60-funded
MCRC Patient Resource Core and the subsequent P30-funded Clinical and Community Resource (CCR) Core.
Since 2012 these cores have served a local, national, international, and corporate base by providing a well
phenotyped longitudinal cohort of predominantly Black systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic
sclerosis (SSc) patients and matched control and family member data and banked biological samples. The
improvements of the CCR Core have accelerated research among the expanding base by providing well
phenotyped specimens and data. A recent formal survey of the research base indicated a strong ongoing need
for existing services but expansion of services in critical areas. The proposed aims will continue the foundation
provided by the current CCCR infrastructure in a rigorous and transparent fashion. However, the renewed
Clinical and Community Resource Core (CCR Core) will flexibly expand services by 1) enhancing the informatics
infrastructure for remote consenting and survey completion, recruiting, health record data and text capture, and
reporting and 2) broadening sample collection to include a Living Biobank approach to just in time specimen
collection at any clinical laboratory encounter as well as MUSC Health sites across the state. Importantly, we
also have built strong relationships with the lay community. Because this community can inform research design,
improve enrollment and benefit from the knowledge of core personnel, the new CCR Core will continue
community engagement consultation services. The core’s specific aims are to: 1) Maintain and expand the CCR
Core with novel EHR, data mart, and reporting infrastructure to provide a well phenotyped, longitudinal cohort of
SLE and SSc subjects and matched control volunteers to support the current and future needs of the research
base. 2) Maintain and expand the CCR Core with novel EHR and Living BioBank infrastructure to efficiently
provide well phenotyped, banked and fresh biological specimens, both from within and beyond the longitudinal
cohort, based on the needs of the research base. 3) Provide resources to link communities impacted by SLE
and SSc and investigators. We will facilitate the engagement of community members and organizations into the
research process at every step, from project planning to dissemination and health promotion. 4) Provide
consultative & regulatory support to current and future projects of the research base. The overall goal of these
aims is to responsively expand the services of the Core to meet the needs of the research base. With an
expanding base, rigorous project management and quality control reporting and responses will be implemented
and maintained. No other resource can provide fine phenotype data and samples from this unique population of
patients. The community engagement facilitated by...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10915481
- **Project number:** 5P30AR072582-08
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES C OATES
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $312,690
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-25 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10915481

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10915481, Improving Minority Health in Rheumatic Disease (IMHeaRD) (5P30AR072582-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10915481. Licensed CC0.

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