RESEARCH INITIATIVES

The Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF) is committed to improving health outcomes, survival, and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy. CCF takes a leadership role in accelerating basic science, clinical, epidemiologic, and translational research on cardiomyopathies affecting children age 18 years and younger.

In the past, CCF has funded more than 55 studies through CCF’s Research Grant Program and research partnerships with the American Heart Association (AHA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Kyle John Rymiszewski Foundation.

Funded studies have focused on the causes, evaluation, and treatment of dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic right ventricular, and left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy in the pediatric population. Past research programs have included:

CCF Grant Program

CCF's grant program supported investigators with the testing of novel concepts and collection of preliminary data. The grant provided one year of seed funding for up to $50,000 to faculty appointed investigators.

CCF & American Heart Association (AHA) Pediatric
Cardiomyopathy Research Award

CCF's joint research program with the American Heart Association (AHA) was established to encourage new scientists to study cardiomyopathy in the pediatric population. Under AHA’s grant mechanism, CCF funded 50% of selected multi-year grants.

CCF & American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Early Career Research Award

Through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), CCF offered a $50,000 stipend to an early career pediatric cardiologist pursuing basic or clinical studies on pediatric cardiomyopathy.

CCF and Kyle John Rymiszewski Research Scholarship in Pediatric Cardiomyopathy

The one-year scholarship of $50,000 supported a clinical researcher in the early stages of their career. The mentored research experience was focused on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and worked on Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry study projects.

Future Research Direction

Due to a shift in research strategy, CCF is no longer offering research grants for individual studies and will focus on supporting multi-center studies and publication of research findings with the National Institutes of Health-funded Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry. CCF continues to be in active discussion with industry partners and other national study groups to explore new research opportunities. Going forward, CCFs research involvement will include:

  • Encouraging collaborative research among industry partners and multi-center study groups
  • Assisting in clinical trials by patient recruitment and dissemination of information
  • Advocating for federal research opportunities
  • Providing research updates and highlights to the patient and medical community

CCF is always open to new research partnerships to advance understanding of pediatric cardiomyopathy. Please contact CCF to explore possibilities.