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Centers and Institutes

Advancing Research and Scholarly Activities

Centers and institutes are central to our work at Case Western Reserve University, from supporting various academic efforts to advancing research pursuits. More than 100 hubs enrich the campus community, covering such topics as environmental law, popular music, cancer research and more. Here, you will find some of our most commonly searched centers and institutes.

To learn about Case Western Reserve University’s core facilities and service centers, visit research.case.edu/corefacilities. For information about School of Medicine’s core facilities, visit corefacilities.case.edu.

Centers and Institutes Listing

The following centers and institutes are listed alphabetically by name. You can use the links below to skip through the list and find the information you need.

A

Institute for Advanced Materials

Institute for Advanced Materials at Case Western Reserve University brings together more than 90 internationally recognized faculty members engaged in innovative research on polymers, metals, ceramics, composites, molecular materials and biomaterials. As a one-stop shop for materials research, the institute aims to enhance Ohio's and the nation's advanced materials industrial base and manufacturing capability with the next generation of materials.

Center for AIDS Research

Center for AIDS Research coordinates clinical and basic research activities in such areas as mycobacterial research, molecular and clinical virology, HIV immunology, clinical treatment trials, epidemiology, biomedical ethics, vaccine research, and international aspects of AIDS.

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B

Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities

Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities facilitates and encourages collaborative work among faculty and students in the humanities and arts. With colleagues in the sciences and social sciences, and through joint programs with other institutions, the center sponsors conferences, seminars, lectures, research and special events that enhance the presence and visibility of the humanities at Case Western Reserve University.

Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education

The Dr. Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of violence that leads to scientifically based violence prevention programs and widely applicable violence prevention policy. Key goals include forming interdisciplinary academic partnerships, promoting community-based strategies for violence prevention, and conducting research/interventions that address the social stressors associated with youth violence.

Bolton-Brush Growth Studies Center

Bolton-Brush Growth Studies Center has tracked human development for more than 70 years and utilizes technology to develop three-dimensional computerized craniofacial models.

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C

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

A National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University, Case Comprehensive Cancer Institute is a partnership organization supporting cancer-related research efforts at CWRU, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth System.

Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence

The Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, housed at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, is a multi-million-dollar statewide effort that is transforming adolescent behavioral health programs and agencies. They oversee the new standardized assessment process, monitor the continued effectiveness of services and expand the service and care coordination for an estimated 58,000 children statewide each year.

Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology

The mission of Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology (CCMSB) is to enhance the structural and biophysical research community and to provide expertise and state-of-the-art facilities in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), X-ray crystallography, proteomics and a variety of related biophysical techniques.

Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative

The ultimate goal of Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative in Cleveland is to provide complete service and integrated clinical translational research capability within the community that will improve the health of patients in Northeast Ohio through patient-based research.

Coaching Research Lab

The Coaching Research Lab is a joint initiative between scholars and leading organizations to develop a more comprehensive understanding of coaching through empirical research.

Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law

Founded in 2019, Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law prepares students for careers in environmental law through a combination of rigorous coursework and experiential opportunities and sponsors interdisciplinary research and programming on environmental law and policy.

Community Innovation Network

The Community Innovation Network at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences seeks to cultivate change in the community by forming relationships, building trust and creating dialogue between residents and organizations in order to bridge divisions, engage communities and elevate impact.

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D

Dittrick Medical History Center

Dittrick Medical History Center is dedicated to the study of the medical past through a distinguished collection of rare books, museum artifacts, archives and images. The center originated as part of Cleveland Medical Library Association and today functions as an interdisciplinary study center within the College of Arts and Sciences.

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E

Center for Evidence-Based Practices

The Center for Evidence-Based Practices, a recognized Center of Excellence at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, is a technical-assistance organization that promotes knowledge development and the implementation of evidence-based practices for the treatment and recovery of people with mental illness and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. The center also implements and studies emerging best practices in an effort to identify innovations that consistently generate improved outcomes.

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F

Flora Stone Mather Center for Women

The mission of Case Western Reserve's Flora Stone Mather Center for Women is to promote the well-being and advancement of women through education and advocacy.

Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit

Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit encompasses a number of activities, all devoted to the healthy advancement of business in society. The center brings together work that fosters sustainable enterprise, social entrepreneurship, cooperation and global action.

Frederick K. Cox International Law Center

Frederick K. Cox International Law Center prepares students for global opportunities in law practice, business and public service and explores critical issues of global legal reform through lectures, research and publications.

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G

Center for Global Health and Diseases

Center for Global Health and Diseases (formerly Center for International Health) links the numerous international health resources of the university, its affiliated institutions and the Northern Ohio community in a multidisciplinary program of research, training and clinical application related to global health.

Great Lakes Energy Institute

Through Great Lakes Energy Institute, Case Western Reserve University is coordinating efforts of numerous partners throughout Ohio to provide the state with a competitive advantage in terms of cost, reliability and the ability to access, generate, transport and store its sustainable energy resources.

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I

Center for Innovative Practices

The Center for Innovative Practices, a recognized Center of Excellence at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, assists social service agencies and organizations in identifying, selecting and implementing evidence-based practices and other services that address the needs of young people—especially those facing various behavioral, mental health and recovery challenges.

Center for Institutional Research

Center for Institutional Research at Case Western Reserve provides information and research to support decision-making, policy analysis, institutional assessment and strategic planning.

Center for International Affairs

Center for International Affairs is designed to provide a 'home' for international students and activities, as well as to be a central location where the university will engage the business, government, foundation and civic communities around global issues.

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L

Law-Medicine Center

Founded in 1953, Law-Medicine Center is the oldest law school-based center for the study of legal medicine and health law in the United States. Its mission is professional education—the training of law and medical students.

Center for Layered Polymeric Systems

Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS) provides a national presence for distinguished research at the crossroads of polymer science and engineering (called 'polymers plus') and for education of a diverse American workforce that can meet the challenges of emerging multidisciplinary polymer-based technologies.

Leonard Gelfand STEM Center

Leonard Gelfand STEM Center leverages the resources of Case Western Reserve University to engage pre-K through 12th-grade students across Northeast Ohio in activities that introduce them to practices and concepts and inspire a lasting interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Center

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center exemplifies the university’s commitment to serving its diverse student, staff and faculty populations. The space provides an inviting home to members of the LGBT and allied community interested in questioning, investigating and celebrating sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Beyond the student base, the center also welcomes alumni, prospective students, faculty and staff.

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M

Mt. Sinai Skills and Simulation Center

Mt. Sinai Skills and Simulation Center provides access to a variety of multidisciplinary simulation modalities, integrating technical and non-technical elements of training in a realistic environment.

Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health

The mission of the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health is to study the complex interplay between environmental determinants and population health outcomes. The center places special emphasis on community-engaged approaches that address the role of structural racism in creating and sustaining environmental health inequities and seeks to translate these findings into policies, practices, and relationships that promote community and population health equity.

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N

National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is committed to promoting urban equity and inclusion through impact research that achieves effective and durable social change outcomes.

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P

Center for Policy Studies

Center for Policy Studies endeavors to stimulate greater interest in policy issues at the university, to encourage the many policy scholars across the university to interact with each other and with the wider public, and to increase the local and national visibility of Case Western Reserve's policy studies.

Center for Popular Music Studies

Center for Popular Music Studies promotes scholarship and teaching about the history and significance of popular music through classes, community outreach, lectures, and symposia.

Partnership for Evaluation, Research and Implementation

The Partnership for Evaluation, Research and Implementation at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is a high-quality, low-cost program evaluation resource center for local nonprofit and governmental organizations in the health and human services sector. By providing information and expertise on program outcomes and quality improvement, the center assists nonprofits with measuring success, demonstrating the effectiveness of programs and services, and increasing the likelihood of future program funding.

Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods

Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods is a collaborative research center that works with underserved and disadvantaged urban neighborhoods across Greater Cleveland to develop, test, and implement effective, scalable, and sustainable strategies to prevent and reduce chronic disease by addressing the broader social and environmental determinants inherent in the disinvested urban core.

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R

Center for Research on Tibet

Center for Research on Tibet at Case Western Reserve University conducts research on Tibetan history, society, language, ecology/physiology and culture so as to understand traditional Tibet and the manner in which it has changed.

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S

Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Best Nursing Practices Based on Evidence

Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Best Nursing Practices Based on Evidence facilitates the integration of the most current evidence-based practices to support nurses and other health professionals in their clinical decision-making.

Schubert Center for Child Studies

Schubert Center for Child Studies strengthens the links between child-related academic study, public policy formation, and professional practice.

Sears think[box]

Students, faculty, staff and members of the community can bring their ideas to life at Sears think[box], a seven-story innovation center, makerspace and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Institute for the Science of Origins

Institute for the Science of Origins is a collaborative team of faculty members and researchers from diverse scientific disciplines seeking to understand how complex systems emerge and evolve, from the universe to the mind, from microbes to humanity. Through interdisciplinary teams and cross-departmental programs, the institute works with its partners and the university community to create new knowledge, to prepare the scientists of tomorrow and to educate the public about origins research.

Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems

Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems (ISSACS) focuses on activities on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), seeking to catalyze efforts in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio and seize the $6.2 trillion economic opportunity of the IIoT.

Social Justice Institute

In a society wrought with blatant discrepancies, Case Western Reserve's Social Justice Institute supports and facilitates social critique and civic engagement to identify the causes and consequences of injustice and work toward resolutions.

Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology and the Arts

Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology and the Arts focuses on intellectual property, technological innovation, and technology transfer; the intersection of science, economics, philosophy, and the law; legal issues concerning biotechnology and computer technologies; and laws and cultural issues relating to the creative arts.

Center for Synchrotron Biosciences

Center for Synchrotron Biosciences (CSB) has been instrumental in the development and implementation of a number of novel technologies for high-throughput and quality research in the field of structural and molecular biology. The goal of the CSB is to enhance the research efforts of in-house faculty and provide unique and powerful research tools to assist investigators across the U.S. and around the world.

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T

Center on Trauma and Adversity

The Center on Trauma and Adversity bridges the gap between the classroom and community to provide trauma-informed knowledge and training to social work master’s students at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences so they can effectively assess, intervene and treat people and communities affected by trauma.

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U

University Center on Aging and Health

A community of scholars with national and international recognition, and professional practitioners dedicated to critical thinking, University Center on Aging and Health fulfills a unique mission of encouraging and coordinating innovative interdisciplinary research, education and service programs relevant to the health and well-being of elderly persons.

University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education

University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) is dedicated to working with the faculty and students at CWRU to create an enriching and rewarding learning experience for everyone.

Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development

The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development seeks to address the problems of persistent and concentrated urban poverty and is dedicated to understanding how social and economic changes affect low-income communities and their residents. Researchers at this Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences center view the city as both a tool for building communities and producing change locally, and as a representative urban center from which nationally relevant research and policy implications can be drawn.

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V

Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship

The Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University catalyzes entrepreneurial ideas through education and training, accelerates venture creation, and connects people in a transformative way.

Visual Sciences Research Center

Visual Sciences Research Center aims to enhance research across departments by providing genotyping services, high-quality images, microscopy training, image analysis and more. There are four core modules in the center: Tissue Culture and Hybridoma, Molecular Biology and Genotyping, Histology Microscopy and Imaging, and Specialized Animal Resources.

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X

xLab

By partnering design and tech-savvy students, faculty and industry experts with companies interested in exploring digital initiatives and responsible technologies, xLab seeks to re-imagine digital futures for everyone.

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Y

Yeager Center for Electrochemical Sciences

Yeager Center for Electrochemical Sciences is an internationally recognized research center dedicated to making advances in all aspects of electrochemical sciences, systems and devices.

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