News and press

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health has been awarded a new contract to develop and operate a secure, scalable, and innovative data registry system in support of Michigan’s Obstetrics Initiative (OBI). The initiative, one of several state-wide Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQI), aims to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes across the state through advanced data-driven insights and

Request for Information: Arbor Research is soliciting information from qualified companies to participate in the PAn-european Registry Addressing Difelikefalin In Goal-oriented Medical treatment for dialysis-related pruritus (PARADIGM) study as the regulatory partner for Ethics Committee submission and coordination in the United Kingdom. Review details here:   PARADIGM RFI UK

Arbor Research is pleased to announce the appointment of Fred Miller as its new Health IT Program Director. In this pivotal role, Mr. Miller will lead the strategic growth and delivery of our newly launched Health IT practice, positioning Arbor Research to meet the evolving digital health needs of federal agencies and industry partners alike.

Arbor Research, LLC is pleased to announce the award of three domains on the GSA OASIS+ Total Small Business vehicle. Arbor Research is poised to offer solutions in the following areas: Management and Advisory Services: Providing agencies with specialized management and consulting services that improve efficiency, performance, and delivery of results. Technical and Engineering Solutions:

January 8, 2025 — Christopher Spera, President and CEO of Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, announced the election of Bryan K. Johnson, JD, MBA to the Arbor Research board of directors in 2025. Mr. Johnson was a co-founder of Insight Policy Research in 2001. His strategic development, operational management, and financial oversight led the start-up

December 5, 2024 — Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is proud to announce an innovative collaboration with the Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI), the largest private nephrology practice in the United States. This partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing chronic kidney disease (CKD) research and management by leveraging NANI’s extensive patient-level

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is excited to announce a partnership with CSL Vifor to launch a multinational registry designed to capture real-world outcomes of difelikefalin (Kapruvia®), a newly-approved treatment for chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Known as PARADIGM (PAn european Registry Addressing pruritus in DIalysis with a focus on Goal

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has selected Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (Arbor Research) as one of 14 organizations who will lead the modernization of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Arbor Research received one of the five initial efforts, focusing on improving patient safety and policy compliance systems and processes overseen

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (Arbor Research) is proud to announce that its wholly-owned, small-business subsidiary, Arbor Research LLC, received its first competitive prime contract award. The award expands the organization’s 25-year history doing mission-impactful work in chronic disease and beyond. Arbor Research was awarded the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Global Health (CGH)

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, a Michigan-based 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, is proud to announce the award of the General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule contract to its subsidiary, Arbor Research LLC under SINs 541611 and 541715. Arbor Research LLC qualifies as a small business under the associated NAICS codes and will seek additional SINs

A newly published article in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, titled “Explaining International Trends in Mortality on Hemodialysis Through Changes in Hemodialysis Practices in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS),” reveals significant findings on the factors contributing to improved patient survival rates among hemodialysis patients worldwide. The study, led by Arbor Research

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is pleased to announce the PDOPPS publication, “Burden of Kidney Disease, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Employment Among Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis and In-Center Hemodialysis: Findings From the DOPPS Program” by Edwina A. Brown, et al., as part of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD)’s special collection of top

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is proud of its role as the Data Coordinating Center for the Worldwide Integration of Natural History Databases for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (WIND-PSC)​ study, a groundbreaking research initiative led by PSC Partners and PSC Partners Canada. These patient-led non-profit organizations are dedicated to supporting education and research in primary sclerosing

The latest episode of the Global Kidney Care Podcast, a collaborative effort by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD), and Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, was released on June 3, 2024. This special episode focuses on Arbor Research’s Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS), a groundbreaking

Ann Arbor, MI  — The American Heart Association has released a new scientific statement titled “Implementation of Obesity Science Into Clinical Practice: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association,” in its flagship scientific journal Circulation. This statement underscores the pressing need to bridge the gap between obesity research and real-world application in clinical settings.

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (Arbor Research), a leading provider of innovative solutions in healthcare research, is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) 2024, scheduled to take place from April 13th to 16th, 2024. The WCN 2024 conference, organized by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), is a

Arbor Research is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Steve Hines, PhD as a Senior Research Scientist focusing on health services research and strategic partnerships. Dr. Hines brings a wealth of experience and expertise, having most recently led learning community activities for the AHRQ-funded TAKEheart project while his work updating AHRQ’s TeamSTEPPS training curriculum

Advancing the scientific understanding of kidney disease to inform healthcare practice and policy is at the core of Arbor Research’s history.  Founded in 1996 in Ann Arbor, Michigan by three leaders in chronic kidney disease care and research, we were originally named the University Renal Research and Education Association (URREA). Arbor Research’s first project was

The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) Program at Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is pleased to share their recent publication recognized as one of the most- downloaded articles at Kidney International Reports in the past few weeks titled “Alkaline Phosphatase and Parathyroid Hormone Levels: International Variation and Associations With Clinical Outcomes in the

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (Arbor Research) recently welcomed Dr. Ping Yu, as Chief Growth Officer. In his new role at Arbor Research, Dr. Yu will lead the Strategic Growth Team (SGT) to further expand Arbor Research’s growth initiatives. Dr. Yu brings a wealth of experience in health data, analytics, research, and evaluation, with a

Christopher Spera, PhD, President & CEO of Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, has published “Facing Evidence Fears: From Compliance to Learning”, in the Brookings Publication titled “Next Generation Evidence”, which proposes a paradigm shift towards a learning framework to elevate the impact of health and social programs across the United States. Dr. Spera delves into

Deepika Laddu, PhD, a Senior Research Scientist at Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, has published exciting new research in Circulation concerning the health benefits of resistance training, particularly related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Dr. Laddu is coauthor on the paper, “Resistance Exercise Training in Individuals With and Without Cardiovascular Disease: 2023 Update: A

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (Arbor Research) is pleased to announce its successful award of a position in a new subgroup within the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule Contract focusing on Program Evaluation Services. The establishment of this subgroup will streamline the federal procurement process. Program evaluation is a crucial aspect of federal initiatives, providing

Individuals with BSEP deficiency with one p.E297G or p.D482G mutation and one PPTM have a similarly severe disease course and low responsiveness to siEHC as those with two PPTMs.

Featuring new scientific work with internationally-known speakers, expert panels, early career investigators, and audience participation.

The new office is located in the Metro DC area near clients and partners, offering convenience for meetings and collaboration.

Dr. Stanik to assist Arbor Research with further expansion into long-term care, behavioral health, and mixed methods research

Using a mouse model of BA and human liver gene expression data collected by ChiLDReN, we were able to confirm the likely activation of this pathway known as TWEAK/FN14 in association with liver fibrosis. We further showed that inhibition of this pathway pharmacologically was associated with near complete elimination of fibrosis in the mouse model of BA.

Arbor Research will support AHRQ in developing their patient centered outcomes research trust fund (PCORTF) strategic plan, logic model, and theory of change.

Dr. Roberto Pecoits-Filho will lead as the scientific and clinical leader of the world-renowned Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).

Arbor Research will work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network to evaluate the ability of electronic health record (EHR) vendors to successfully implement and disseminate a standardized system for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) reporting into their EHR system, and assess the concordance of EHR versus manual-based reporting of CDIs by nursing homes.

Arbor Research will collaborate with prime contractor Lewin Group, as well as with the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center and ICF to assess the effectiveness of each model.

Large-scale proteomics identified SEMA6B, SFRP3, COMMD7, BMX, and VCAM1 as biomarkers highly associated with clinical portal hypertension in children with biliary atresia. The expression of the biomarkers in liver epithelial, endothelial, and immune cells support their potential role in the mechanisms that cause portal hypertension.

Study partnership will address disparities in hypertension control among racial and ethnic minority populations

Leader in broad-based finance and government contracting, Chauncey Lynch appointed to head Arbor Research finance team

Experienced business development professional Shanthy Edward, M.A., Psy.D. joins Arbor Research as Vice President of Strategic Growth & Chief Growth Officer.

Leaders in public health and social justice, Deborah Klein Walker, EdD, Med, BA and Gerald M. Croan, SB, MCP join Arbor Research’s Board of Directors

Seasoned business leader and researcher, Chris Spera, Ph.D, takes the helm at Arbor Research, succeeding retiring president, Robert M. Merion, M.D. FACS.

The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns (DOPPS) Program has expanded the DOPPS Practice Monitor (DPM) to include peritoneal dialysis (PD). The DPM-PD now reports the most up-to-date trends in care for patients receiving chronic PD in the US.

In a 1-year-old female patient with normal GGT cholestasis and bile duct paucity, we identified a homozygous truncating pathogenic variant (c.198delA, p.Gly67Alafs∗6) in the ABCC12 gene (NM_033226). Five additional rare ABCC12 variants, including a pathogenic one, were detected in our cohort.

Using data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), our researchers calculated access procedure (intervention) rates in the US for patients starting hemodialysis with an AVF or AVG created during their first year of hemodialysis therapy between July 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014 (N = 73,027).

Regional variation in glutathione metabolism underlies sensitivity to the biliary toxin biliatresone and may account for the reported association between BA transplant-free survival and glutathione metabolism gene expression.

Dr. Robert M. Merion, MD, FACS has announced that he will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer of Arbor Research Collaborative for Health by August 2021.

Our finding of de novo variants in genes linked to evolutionarily conserved stress responses (STIP1 and REV1) suggests that exploration of how genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure may interact to cause BA is warranted.

Our collaborator on the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) project, Amit Mathur, MD, transplant surgeon at the Mayo Clinic of Arizona, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2020 Vanguard Award from the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), in recognition of his recent publication in Clinical Transplantation, “Return on investment for financial assistance for living kidney donors in the United States.”

In studies of liver tissues from infants with cholestasis, we identified a 14-gene expression pattern that associated with transplant-free survival for 2 years.

How distress from itchy skin impacts patient health and quality of life

Generic medications reduce the lifetime costs of organ transplantation