Cardiac Imaging Research Core Lab Advances Pediatric Cardiovascular Research
Children’s Mercy supports high‑impact pediatric cardiovascular research through its Cardiac Imaging Research Core (CIRC), a dedicated core lab that provides standardized cardiac imaging for clinical trials and investigator‑initiated studies.
Few pediatric institutions offer a dedicated cardiac imaging research core, positioning Children’s Mercy as a national leader in pediatric cardiovascular imaging. Through standardized methodologies, robust infrastructure and collaborative expertise, the Cardiac Imaging Research Core helps investigators generate high‑quality imaging data that informs discovery and improves care for children with heart disease.
The CIRC delivers comprehensive image acquisition, interpretation and reporting for echocardiographic and vascular studies, along with end-to-end project management for single- and multicenter clinical trials. Designed to meet the needs of clinician-scientists and research sponsors, the program emphasizes consistency, reproducibility and compliance with published imaging standards.
With more than 17 years of experience, the CIRC has supported FDA‑regulated clinical trials that contributed to the approval of multiple cardiac devices. The program currently supports 28 active research studies and collaborates with national partners, including the National Institutes of Health, Pediatric Heart Network, Additional Ventures and Fetal Heart Society. CIRC investigators and faculty also contribute to multicenter, peer‑reviewed manuscripts that advance the field of pediatric cardiology.
A key strength of the CIRC is its integration within Children’s Mercy’s high‑volume echocardiography laboratory, which performs more than 20,000 studies annually and has been IAC‑accredited since 2013 for pediatric and fetal echocardiography. This close alignment provides access to deep clinical expertise, shared protocols and operational redundancy that support consistent workflow and rapid turnaround times.
The multidisciplinary team includes a full‑time core manager, research sonographers and experienced echocardiographers specializing in pediatric, fetal, vascular and advanced imaging. Dedicated research staff support IRB submissions, audits and clinical trial design, while an advanced informatics team manages scalable image storage and analysis across multiple imaging platforms.
The CIRC supports a broad range of services, including transthoracic, transesophageal and fetal echocardiography; 3D imaging; strain analysis; vascular assessments; and stress echocardiography with exercise and VO₂ analysis. Core lab services extend beyond imaging to include study design consultation, protocol development, site‑level training and centralized image management.
To learn more or discuss research collaboration opportunities, email CardiacImagingResearchCore@cmh.edu.