Department-Level Research Programs

Indiana University School of Medicine basic science and clinical departments lead and operate research centers that focus on critical medical conditions and health-related issues in Indiana, the United States and throughout the world. In addition, service core laboratories embedded within the school’s academic departments provide investigators with specialized scientific services to support their research.

Internal Medicine Research

Scientists, clinical researchers and translational investigators in Department of Medicine participate in genomic medicine and cell, gene and immune therapies programs to advance IU School of Medicine’s ability to improve the health, well-being and economy of Indiana.

Center for Aging Research

The Indiana University Center for Aging Research develops and tests strategies to improve the quality of health care and self-care for older adults. Research covers brain health, decision-making, physical fitness, transitional care, nursing home care, and medication use.

Center for Bioethics

The Center for Bioethics serves as a local, state and national resource in bioethics research, education and policy.

Indiana Institute for Personalized Medicine

The Indiana Institute for Personalized Medicine studies how genetic information and environmental exposure affect each person’s risks to develop certain diseases and responses to medication.

Indiana O'Brien Center for Advanced Microscopic Analysis

The Indiana University George M. O’Brien Center has a highly interactive team of physicians, basic scientists, computer scientists, engineers and technical support team to provide intravital optical microscopy and 3-dimensional quantitative digital image analysis of the kidney.

Pediatrics Research

Pediatric research at IU School of Medicine encompasses every clinical subspecialty as well as basic science, health services, health policy, informatics and comparative effectiveness research. The Department of Pediatrics hosts five research centers focused on innovation and the development of new therapies and treatments for childhood diseases.

Children's Health Services Research

Recognized for applying information and technology to improve child health care, the team at this center uses health informatics, epidemiologic studies, health policy analysis, decision analysis and cost-effectiveness research to shape public health policy and improve care for pediatric patients.

Pediatric and Adolescent Comparative Effectiveness Research

Pediatric and Adolescent Comparative Effectiveness Research

Pediatric and Adolescent Comparative Effectiveness Research (PACER) at IU School of Medicine is exploring what matters most to children and caregivers with respect to health and to trying to identify which treatments and therapies work best to deliver optimal outcomes.

Ryan White Center for Infectious Disease and Global Health

The research focus of this center is on malaria and HIV, infections that represent the leading causes of death and disability in children worldwide.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research

Through work in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center, the InterFACE Center and other research facilities, investigators in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation continue to advance treatment options and care.
a stock photo of lab materials

BRAIN Center

The Brain Rehabilitation, Advanced Imaging, and Neuroscience Center studies acquired brain injury, including neuroimaging, neurogenetics, outcome measurement, and intervention studies to improve function.

InterFACE Center

The Interactive and Functional Assessment of Communication and Emotion (InterFACE) Center is a natural observation laboratory designed to research emotional and behavioral deficits in people with neurological, psychological and developmental disorders.

Traumatic Brain Injury Scan

TBI Model Systems Site

With the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, IU School of Medicine is a designated Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Site, one of just 16 such centers in the nation. This partnership focuses on the long-term treatment and rehabilitation of people with traumatic brain injury.

Radiology Research

Today’s research in the field of radiology and imaging sciences is focused on discoveries to contribute to advances in the treatment of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Center for Neuroimaging

The Center for Neuroimaging at IU School of Medicine uses advanced imaging technologies to explore brain structure and function, investigate the influence of genetic variation on imaging phenotypes, and advance clinical care for brain disorders.

Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center

The Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center conducts basic science research on the causes and processes of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, tests new treatments, trains future generations of Alzheimer’s researchers and physicians, and supports patients and their caregivers.

Additional Specialty Research Programs

Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy

The Bowen Center conducts research important to informing health workforce development and planning efforts.

Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research

The Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research studies health care financing, the uninsured, medical education/training, and ethical, professional and legal issues of physician practice.

Glaucoma Research and Diagnostic Center

Research at the Glaucoma Research and Diagnostic Center focuses on regulation of blood flow in the healthy and diseased eye. Investigators at this center also study ocular perfusion changes during sleep and circadian fluctuations in systemic and intraocular fluid dynamics.

the hands of a researcher holding a tube

Indiana Alcohol Research Center

This center focuses on the biomedical and psychosocial factors that contribute to alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The center educates policymakers regarding the science behind diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism.

Campus-Based Research Center

Located on the IU School of Medicine—South Bend campus, the Harper Cancer Research Institute was established by IU School of Medicine faculty in collaboration with their colleagues at University of Notre Dame. This group of medical researchers focus on breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers as well as leukemia.