Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center (MCRC)

Overview

Northwestern University’s (NU) Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center (MCRC) is funded by a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Richard Pope has been the director of the center since its inception in 2002.  He is assisted by the co-director Dr. Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman.

The MCRC currently has several individual projects that focus on crucial issues relating to the important consequences of arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases, including progression of osteoarthritis of the knee, the development of the complications of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and the genetic mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of scleroderma.  The center also focuses on health care utilization, with particular emphasis on underserved minorities.

The MCRC operates as an integrated unit to address a broad range of clinical research endeavors in order to fulfill these objectives.  The MCRC continues to unite the Medical School’s Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology Divisions, various other divisions in its Department of Medicine, as well as the Department of Preventive Medicine, the Institute for Healthcare Studies, the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Research Corporation, and Children's Memorial Hospital. Moreover, it fosters interactions among centers throughout the United States and in Europe.