Internationally renowned researcher bolsters CMU’s cutting-edge pediatric care

​The Central Michigan University College of Medicine, The Children's Foundation and University Pediatricians Clinical Research Institute (CRI) have taken another step forward as a driving force for scientific discoveries for children's health and wellness.

The Detroit-based Clinical Research Institute, CMU's hub for pediatric clinical and translational research, has hired Karin Przyklenk, Ph.D. as the Carman and Ann Adams endowed chair for pediatrics research. Przyklenk is an established cardiovascular scientist with more than 30 years of experience developing better treatments for heart disease and translating these discoveries in an effort to improve patient outcomes. Przyklenk will oversee the operations of the CRI, mentor faculty to advance their careers and grow the research portfolio.

"Clinicians understand the problems that need to be solved to improve health care. My role is to design strategies that operationalize solutions to those problems," said Przyklenk. "I'm looking forward to combining my two passions, scientific discovery and mentorship of young investigators and clinician-scientists, in support of the mission of the CMU College of Medicine."

Przyklenk's work has been supported by the National Institutes for Health, by foundations and industry, and has resulted in more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, invited reviews, editorials and book chapters. She is a member of multiple editorial boards and is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

The Carman and Ann Adams endowment supports the research and educational activities of the director of pediatric research. The endowment is held and managed by The Children's Foundation, a Michigan, independent foundation supporting pediatric research, education, community benefit programs and other initiatives that improve the health of children, young adults and families in Michigan.

"Pediatric clinical research is a key part of creating new, state-of-the-art world-class treatments for children and adolescents and the reason why The Children's Foundation continues to invest in it," stated Lawrence J. Burns, President and CEO, The Children's Foundation. "The Clinical Research Institute is an important asset to our community and Dr. Przyklenk will play an integral role in furthering these research efforts."

"It is not enough to be excellent clinicians – we need to move forward with discovery," said Dr. Kathy Meert, chair of the pediatric discipline at the College of Medicine, president of University Pediatricians and pediatric specialist-in-chief at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan. "High quality physicians conducting cutting-edge research know a resource like the CRI is valuable to their work. The more active research we have at the CMU College of Medicine and University Pediatricians, the more innovative we will be in improving the lives of children in Michigan and beyond."

The CMU College of Medicine affiliated with University Pediatricians in 2019. The partnership offers CMU medical students access to a variety of clinical pediatric experiences and approximately 20 pediatric subspecialties adding depth and breadth of the College of Medicine's medical education program.