About CRF

An independent foundation built around real-world rheumatology data.

An independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) foundation founded in early 2014 with the recognition that a mechanism was needed to connect talented academic epidemiology researchers in rheumatic diseases with the rich observational data collected by CorEvitas, LLC.

The CRF can access all of the data which has been collected since the inception of the registry. The Foundation connects the data with qualified academic researchers for the purpose of producing scientific publications which improve our understanding of the effects of new and existing drug treatments. The CorEvitas data are a unique resource in the US — prospectively collected physician- and patient-derived, observational, uniform, deep data on a very large number of patients in the unique US marketplace. Data are collected at the time of a routine clinical encounter and include joint counts, visual analogue scales, standardized patient-reported outcomes, laboratory values, radiographic outcomes, bone densities, infections, comorbidities and side effects/toxicities from a very large cohort receiving a representative array of therapeutic interventions.

§ Mission & Vision

Why CRF exists.

Mission of the CRF

Improve patient care by connecting researchers with real-world data.

The CRF will improve patient care by providing qualified academic researchers access to the distinctive real-world observational data which is collected on patients with RA, Spondyloarthropathies, and Psoriatic Arthritis. The epidemiological insights derived from these unique data sources will improve the quality of patient care by continuing to provide meaningful insights to their treating physicians on the many and varied outcomes of the drugs they use to treat these diseases. The CRF will facilitate and encourage connections with talented epidemiologic researchers across the medical disciplines of rheumatology.

Vision of the CRF

Expand the data capabilities of CorEvitas, LLC.

The CRF will expand the data capabilities of CorEvitas, LLC in order to become the source of real-world data on the many new agents used in the treatment of the inflammatory diseases treated by our very large group of physician participants.

§ Leadership

Board of Directors.

Practicing rheumatologists, biostatisticians, and academic researchers steering CRF's scientific priorities.

Joel M. Kremer, MD

President & Chairman of Board of Directors

Albany Medical College

Stanley Cohen, MD

Board of Directors

UT Southwestern Medical School

Daniel E. Furst, MD

Board of Directors

University of Florence · UCLA · University of Washington

Michael E. Weinblatt, MD

Board of Directors

Harvard Medical School · Brigham and Women's Hospital

Jeff Curtis, MD, MS, MPH

Board of Directors

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dimitrios Pappas, MD, MPH

Board of Directors

Columbia University · CorEvitas LLC

Ted Mikuls, MD, MPH

Board of Directors

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Josh Baker, MD, MPH

Board of Directors

University of Pennsylvania

Jessica Eisenhaure, JD

Board of Directors

Endpoint Clinical · CorEvitas (former)

Advisory.

Biostatisticians supporting CRF's analytical and methodological work.

George Reed, PhD

Lead Biostatistician

Professor of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School

Kevin Kane, MA

Senior Biostatistician

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

§ Committees

Clinical Investigators Committee.

Reviews and rates approved letters of intent for full submission. Provides methodological mentorship to junior investigators.

Joel M. Kremer, MDAlbany Medical CollegeChair

Jeffrey R. Curtis, MD, MS, MPHUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamMember

Daniel E. Furst, MDUCLA · University of WashingtonMember

Stanley B. Cohen, MDMetroplex Clinical Research CenterMember

Dimitrios A. Pappas, MDColumbia UniversityMember

George W. Reed, PhDUMass Chan Medical SchoolBiostatistics

Kevin Kane, MSUMass Chan Medical SchoolBiostatistics

Joshua F. Baker, MD, MSCEUniversity of PennsylvaniaMember

Ted R. Mikuls, MD, MSPHUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterMember

Michael E. Weinblatt, MDBrigham and Women's · HarvardMember

§ History

A timeline.

2014

Foundation established

CRF founded in early 2014 as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) foundation connecting academic epidemiology researchers with the longitudinal observational data collected by CorEvitas, LLC.

2016

First peer-reviewed publications

Inaugural manuscripts published in Current Rheumatology Reviews and posters at ACR 2015 / EULAR 2016.

2018

Submission process formalized

Two-step review process formalized with the Clinical Investigators Committee.

2020

Expansion across registries

Expanded to psoriatic and spondyloarthritis cohorts; international collaborations begin.

2024 → today

26+ manuscripts and growing

Active research pipeline spanning cardiovascular risk, biologics response, biomarkers, and patient-reported outcomes.