# Cleveland Clinic Pelvic Floor Disorders Network Clinical Site

> **NIH NIH UG1** · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · 2020 · $19,020

## Abstract

The broad long-term objective of the NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) is to perform multicenter
research to study clinical and health aspects of pelvic floor disorders (PFD) with an emphasis on performing
randomized clinical trials in order to reduce the burden of these conditions on women and their families. The
Cleveland Clinic is seeking to successfully compete in the fourth cycle of the PFDN. The Cleveland Clinic
PFDN Clinical Site joined the Network as one of its seven Clinical Sites at the beginning of the Network's 2nd 5-
year cycle (2006) and has continued as a highly productive clinical site through its 2nd and 3rd cycles (2006-
2015). The specific aims of this application are to: 1) demonstrate that the Cleveland Clinic PFDN Site has
contributed substantially to the academic, administrative, and clinical aspects of the PFDN during its 2nd and 3rd
5-year cycles; 2) demonstrate that we possess the personnel, patient, clinical and administrative resources
needed for successful participation; and that our continued participation would be advantageous to the
successful attainment of the Network's scientific goals, and 3) describe the unique strengths of the Cleveland
Clinic Site relevant to PFD research. The Cleveland Clinic offers a stable, research-oriented environment for
the conduct of Network studies includes highly experienced investigators with complementary clinical and
research backgrounds with expertise in urogynecology, urology, colorectal surgery, physical therapy,
epidemiology, radiology and biomedical engineering. Additionally, our site offers unique expertise in PFD
outcome measure development and validation, development of clinical risk prediction models, and basic and
translational research of PFDs. The Cleveland Clinic Center for Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive
Surgery provides care to a large volume of women with the full spectrum of PFD including urinary
incontinence, fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse and other sensory and emptying abnormalities of
the lower urinary and gastrointestinal tracts with approximately 3,200 new patients seen and 3,900 surgeries
performed annually. Our research team has a long and successful history of conducting clinical and
translational research including clinical trials evaluating both surgical and non-surgical therapies for women
with PFD. We have developed an infrastructure and environment conducive to the conduct of clinical studies of
the PFDN and have made substantial contributions towards PFDN productivity including taking leadership in
the design, implementation and publications of many PFDN studies and analyses. The unique strengths of the
Cleveland Clinic Site have expanded and strengthened PFDN activities in the 2nd and 3rd cycle and will
continue to be advantageous to the Network in the future. The health-relatedness of the PFDN and our
application is that on-going and future Network studies will significantly advance the field by filling important
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9981439
- **Project number:** 5UG1HD054215-15
- **Recipient organization:** CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU
- **Principal Investigator:** Marie Fidela Paraiso
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $19,020
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-09-12 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9981439

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9981439, Cleveland Clinic Pelvic Floor Disorders Network Clinical Site (5UG1HD054215-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9981439. Licensed CC0.

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