Federal Grant Award Summary

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center received a $121,500 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), effective June 15, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2028. This research project investigates the relationship between circadian phase—the timing of the internal body clock—and functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) in adolescents, a condition associated with significant disability and school absenteeism.

The grant supports an objective clinical research study measuring circadian phase using dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) biomarkers in adolescent patients with FAPD and healthy controls. Deliverables include data collection establishing circadian phase timing in the patient population and associations between circadian phase and patient-reported abdominal pain, nausea, and functional disability outcomes. This research represents the first study to objectively measure and correlate circadian phase with FAPD symptoms through direct biomarker assessment, with findings intended to identify circadian timing as a malleable and previously overlooked therapeutic intervention target for this chronic pediatric pain condition.