2025 Annual Pilot Awardees

1) Immune-hematologic Biomarkers as Predictors of Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes in Psoriasis: Translating Insights from Local, Regional, and National Cohorts to the Clinic

Lay Summary:  Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that can be especially debilitating in some patients with an increased risk of early heart disease or death. This study aims to identify biomarkers from routinely collected blood tests that can be used to predict patients at higher risk for severe outcomes. By analyzing data from communities to national databases, we aim to offer an accessible and personalized screening tool that can potentially improve and save lives at next to no cost for patients.

	Name and Institution
	Kevin Cooper, MD University Hospitals
	Alison Treichel, MD University Hospitals
	Thomas McCormick, PhD Case Western Reserve University
	David Zidar, MD, PhD University Hospitals
	Mark Beno, MSM Case Western Reserve University

2) Evaluating the Impact of a Community-Based Rehabilitation Camp on Caregiver Attitudes of Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Lay Summary: Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities often experience significant communication challenges, making it difficult for them to express their needs, participate in daily activities, and engage socially. Many of these children rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), such as speech-generating devices, to communicate.This study evaluates the effectiveness of Club chAT, a family-centered, group-based AAC intervention developed and led by speech-language pathologists at the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Greater Cleveland.

	Name and Institution
	Helen Long, PhD
	Sarah Zarcone, MNAL United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland

3) School Re-Entry for Children with Cancer

Lay Summary: Currently, there are no standardized or evidence-based recommendations for when children diagnosed with cancer can return to school. Here, we will link electronic health records at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center hospitals with the Child and Household Integrated Longitudinal Data (CHILD) system to characterize school attendance practices of children with cancer and determine when school reentry is medically safe and academically successful to inform school re-entry guidelines.

	Name and Institution
	Jamie Shoag, MD, MPH Cleveland Clinic

4) Community-Engaged Transdiagnostic Sleep Intervention for School-Age Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Lay Summary: Children with autism are twice as likely to experience poor sleep quality compared to their peers. Recognizing the urgent need for effective sleep interventions for school-age children with autism, our project will actively involve parents and community members in adapting a sleep intervention. The goal is to enhance sleep quality, behavior, and overall quality of life for these children, while also reducing parental stress and boosting parents' confidence in managing their child's sleep.       

	Name and Institution
	Megan Alder Wenzell, PhD, RN Case Western Reserve University
	Max Wiznitzer, MD University Hospitals

5) Improving Cardiac Arrest Outcomes Using Artificial Intelligence Guided Precision Treatments

Lay Summary: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a major public health problem and despite significant efforts to improve resuscitation from SCA, survival outcomes remain poor. Resuscitation from SCA is typically started in patients with an ongoing heart attack that, even if resuscitation attempts are initially successful, is commonly followed by repeated cardiac arrest (rearrest). However, the inability to predict an impending cardiac arrest and prevent it remains a significant barrier and consequently, improved approaches are needed. We propose to develop and test a novel method to predict if rearrest will occur, and the type of rearrest, using patient characteristics and the electrocardiogram (ECG) along with a type of artificial intelligence approach called machine learning.

	Name and Institution
	Lance D. Wilson, MD     MetroHealth
	Kenneth Loparo, PhD Case Western Reserve University

6) Pilot Study of the Cognitive and Neurobiological Effects of the Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Schizophrenia and Related Conditions

Lay Summary:  This is a novel study of the cognitive and neurobiological effects of a recovery-oriented community-based model of psychosocial rehabilitation, the Clubhouse Model for Serious Mental Illness (SMI). While cognition and neurobiology underpin community functioning, a knowledge gap exists in understanding how community-based psychological well-being care impacts cognitive and neurobiological processes that drive functional improvement. This research will begin to optimize and personalize existing community-based psychological well-being programs to better support functional recovery from SMI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

	Name and Institution
	Jessica Wojtalik, PhD Case Western Reserve University
	Martha Sajatovic, MD University Hospitals
	Doug Gunzler, MA, PhD MetroHealth
	Chris Flask, PhD Case Western Reserve University