Carle’s research enterprise, the Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute, enables new discoveries with real-world applications and allows us to develop best practices that create a higher quality of healthcare.
The mission of the Institute is to support, nurture, test and apply new discoveries that address today’s critical healthcare challenges. Our research initiatives offer new insight into how to combat a disease, demonstrate new ways of thinking about treatment, and develop possible cures to improve outcomes for patients. At the Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute, we’re using “What if?” to unlock a world of medical innovations.
We invite you to learn more about Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute in the following guide: Inspired Minds, Inspiring Research. Here, you’ll find examples of the many ways our clinicians turn questions into answers and research into results.
Through our innovative research programs in a variety of disciplines, we are able to tackle today’s critical healthcare challenges and improve the lives of those in our community and beyond.
Advances in medical imaging are central to research efforts across disciplines, and our Clinical Imaging Research Program (CIRP) strives to be at the forefront of these advances. The program brings together expertise in cutting-edge clinical imaging and in medical specialties such as neuroscience, oncology, and cardiovascular health. The CIRP helps coordinate collaborations between scientists performing fundamental imaging research at the University of Illinois and Carle physician-scientists with state-of-the-art clinical imaging systems. These synergies help advance CIRP's mission of developing novel imaging techniques to solve real clinical challenges for our patients.
Carle Cancer Institute
Carle Cancer Institute, a designated National Cancer Institute community oncology research program, is the premier cancer treatment and support center in central Illinois, offering the most advanced resources to help patients fight cancer. With the area's largest and most specialized team of fellowship-trained oncologists, surgeons and staff, patients have access to an expert team dedicated to providing state-of-the-art diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Carle Cancer Institute is committed to providing comprehensive care by offering support groups, genetic and nutrition counseling, nurse navigator services and more.
Our team offers the latest technology and highly specialized multidisciplinary clinics for certain cancers, including breast, prostate, gynecologic, colorectal, and head and neck. In addition to conducting research at locations in Urbana, Danville, Mattoon-Charleston, Effingham, Aurora, Yorkville and Evansville, we also partner with the University of Illinois to develop technologies that could change the way we diagnose and treat cancers.
Carle Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) improves patient outcomes through high-quality care, medical research and education. Providing the most advanced care in the region, Carle HVI physicians and clinician-investigators use the latest technologies in multiple ongoing studies addressing the vast spectrum of cardiovascular health. These studies include outcomes and comparative effectiveness, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, valvular heart disease, electrophysiology, imaging and peripheral vascular disease.
Carle Neuroscience Institute (CNI) is home to some of the most advanced neuroscience services and technology available. Our team of specialists is uniquely trained to treat diseases and injuries of the brain, spine, spinal cord and nervous system. Our comprehensive range of neuroscience diagnostic and surgical services helps thousands of area patients live longer, better manage their conditions and discover an improved quality of life.
With the only Level 3 Epilepsy Center in the area with a dedicated monitoring unit that diagnoses rare problems in real time, Carle’s exceptional team of neurologists, epileptologists, neurosurgeons and researchers conduct ground-breaking research that could pioneer bold new solutions and provide the most advanced treatments available today.
The Dr. Eugene Greenberg Digestive Health Institute at Carle provides the highest quality care for patients with gastrointestinal conditions and disorders. With expertise in subspecialties such as inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis, the institute offers access to cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic advances in gastrointestinal disorders. The team operates a robust research program studying ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, recurrent Clostridium difficile infections, chronic pancreatitis and eosinophilic esophagitis. The institute also works closely with investigators at the University of Illinois on projects aimed at understanding the gut microbiome and its effects on human health and disease.
Carle nurses are at the forefront of their profession, not only in the care they provide but also in their commitment to promote evidence-based practice and research. This commitment is reflected in multiple Magnet designations and a Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals (Carle Foundation Hospital). Carle nurses lead project/research teams and partner with other Carle clinicians and scientists, fostering learning and providing expertise to enhance the research team effort. As a result, nursing research at Carle improves the experience and outcomes for both patients and staff.
Research is an essential part of Carle’s mission of serving people through high quality care. As a nonprofit organization, Carle research relies on generous people like you to advance our work. With your support, Carle is able to provide unparalleled expertise in patient care, innovative research to meet the needs of our patients, and medical education to train the healthcare workforce of tomorrow.
Join us in this mission. Give today. Change tomorrow.