Arthritis Foundation Honors Cincinnati Children's Research
Dr. Edward H. Giannini Receives Virginia P. Engalitcheff Award
CINCINNATI – Edward H. Giannini, M.Sc., Dr. P.H., has been awarded the 2002 Virginia P. Engalitcheff Award for Impact on Quality of Life, one of the highest awards bestowed by the Arthritis Foundation.
The Arthritis Foundation's Virginia P. Engalitcheff Award for Impact on Quality of Life is a $20,000 award recognizing a specific achievement by an individual, organization, a product or body of research that makes a dramatic impact on the quality of life for people with arthritis.
"Dr. Giannini's research has had a profound effect on the quality of life of thousands of children with arthritis," said Tino J. Mantella, president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation. "He has been instrumental in the development of clinical trials that have dramatically improved the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, in both the management of symptoms and the prevention of long-term joint deformity and damage."
Dr. Giannini has served as the senior scientist for the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group for more than 25 years. His leadership is directly responsible for the creation and implementation of drug trials for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).
Dr. Giannini's studies of outcomes in JRA focus on defining remissions and/or responses to treatment. He led the project that resulted in the Definition of Improvement for JRA, now formally adopted by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) as the ACR Pediatric 30, and accepted as standard criteria by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Dr. Giannini's recent work at Cincinnati Children's has centered around the development of new and more user friendly study designs that meet more rigid ethical standards, while still maintaining their scientific validity. The incorporation of genetic studies into clinical trials of new agents has been part of this challenge. In addition, he is the principal investigator of several large patient registries aimed at determining the longer-term safety and ability of new drugs to maintain an acceptable quality of life for children as they age.
Dr. Giannini is an active member of the National Institutes of Health Study Sections, the Arthritis Foundation and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. He has contributed to the steering committee for the newly formed Children's Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance, provides peer reviews for the New England Journal of Medicine, and serves as an advisor to the FDA.
The Engalitcheff Award for Impact on Quality of Life is named for Mrs. Virginia P. Engalitcheff, who, along with her husband, was a long-time supporter of the Arthritis Foundation. She made a tremendous impact on arthritis care through funding programs, services and the training of rheumatology specialists.
The Arthritis Foundation is the only nationwide, nonprofit health organization helping people take greater control of arthritis by leading efforts to prevent, control and cure arthritis and related diseases. For free arthritis information, contact the Arthritis Foundation 800-283-7800 or www.arthritis.org.
Contact Information
Jim Feuer, 513-636-4656,
jim.feuer@cchmc.org
