Cincinnati Children’s recently celebrated the opening of the Winslow Research Pavilion on May 5, 2026, adding new laboratory space and serving as the new home of the Vaccine Research Center, the Discover Together Biobank and a Freezer Archive for long-term storage of research samples. Over the past decade, the Discover Together Biobank and the Vaccine Research Center have partnered with the CCTST Cincinnati Children’s Research Participant Advisory Council (CCHMC RPAC) and th

Stanford School of Medicine, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and the CTSA Coordination, Communication, and Operations Support (CCOS), recently hosted a collaborative workshop on real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) in Washington, DC. The multidisciplinary workshop brought together researchers, patients, industry, and government leaders to advance the future of RWD/RWE research. Discussions emphasized transparency, adaptability, and

Monica Banks - CCHMC RPAC Member Monica Banks, a member of Cincinnati Children's Research Participant Advisory Council (RPAC), was invited to share her experiences and perspectives on her research journey as a parent and family advocate. She also discussed the value of researchers seeking RPAC feedback to help ensure studies are designed with participants and families in mind. Tell us a little about you! I am a wife, mom of two amazing young adults, owner of a hair salon, and

Time to get healthy - take charge of your health and your life! Know your health numbers, get your screenings, and tap into all the resources available to YOU! The West End Community Research Advisory Board (WE C-RAB) is bringing health information, screenings, resources, and community support directly to the neighborhood so individuals and families can live healthier lives. It starts with the basics: getting screened, knowing your health numbers, accessing accurate informati

Nolan Breitenstein, CCHMC RPAC Member Nolan Breitenstein is a 12-year-old boy with Tourette’s Syndrome and a new member of the Cincinnati Children’s Research Participant Advisory Group (CCHMC RPAC). Along with his mother, Heidi, Nolan attends the monthly CCHMC RPAC meetings to provide feedback from the perspective of a child who has participated in research. Read below to learn more about Nolan and his experience with research! Tell us a little about you! I love playing sel

Many members of our CCTST community recently attended the Translational Science 2026 meeting in Milwaukee, which brings together teams from Clinical and Translational Science Award hubs across the United States. This year’s meeting focused on building trustworthy translational science through rigor, reproducibility, and real-world impact. CCTST faculty and staff were prominently featured throughout the conference, contributing posters as well as highly regarded presentations

Victoria Straughn - UC RPAC Member Victoria Straughn is a member of the UC Research Participant Advisory Council (UC RPAC) and was asked to share her experience and thoughts about her research journey, the importance of research and joining the UC RPAC. In her professional life, Victoria is a Clinical Research Coordinator, and she has personal experience participating in research. We value Victoria’s practical feedback during UC RPAC meetings, her love of research, and her w

While the Research Participant Advisory Group (RPAG) works with individual researchers to provide feedback on individual studies, another critical role of the RPAG has been to partner with institutional research leadership and divisions over the years to improve institutional research practices across the Academic Health Center. One such on-going relationship has been with the Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for Cincinnati Children’s and the University of Cincinnati (UC),

Respiratory Therapists : Lauren Lampkin and Regina Brandon CCTST’s West End Community Research Advisory Board (WE C-RAB) often has ongoing relationships with researchers across the Academic Health Center who see the opportunity to connect with community beyond just coming to one of the monthly meetings. Cincinnati Children's Emergency Department’s Michelle Eckerle, MD, is one of these individuals. Over the years, in addition to coming to the WE C-RAB for feedback on research

Earlier this year, CCTST’s Research Participant Advisory Group (RPAG) received recognition as an “Area of Distinction” as part of the Association for Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs' (AAHRPP) re-accreditation of Cincinnati Children’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Cincinnati Children's Research Participant Advisory Council The RPAG was recognized for meeting AAHRPP’s Community Engagement standard I.4.C for demonstrating a “ strong commitment to communi

Many members of our CCTST community recently attended the Translational Science 2025 meeting in Washington, D.C., which brings together teams from Clinical and Translational Science Award hubs from across the U.S. This year’s meeting focused on how data integration is shaping the future of translational research. Our very own Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD served as the Chair of Programs. Six CCTST staff members and two of our K Scholars presented posters that showcased innovative

The Research Participant Advisory Group (RPAG) , which started in 2015 with the CCHMC Research Participant Advisory Council (RPAC) and...