Health outcomes for parents living with cystic fibrosis

Health Outcomes of Parents with Cystic Fibrosis (HOPe:CF)

NIH-funded research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11258850

This project looks at how becoming a parent affects the health and lung function of people with cystic fibrosis now that powerful CFTR modulator drugs are widely used.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Pittsburgh, United States)
Project IDNIH-11258850 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

The team will link health records from the U.S. CF Foundation Patient Registry with surveys completed by people with CF who became parents and compare their lung function before and after parenthood to similar people who did not become parents. They will focus on percent predicted FEV1 (a common lung function measure), timing of any lung function changes, and how use of CFTR modulators relates to those changes. Data come from multiple U.S. CF care centers and include parents who had children mainly between 2011 and 2020. The goal is to find who may be at higher risk of health decline after becoming a parent and when extra support might be needed.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with cystic fibrosis who are parents, expecting to become parents, or recently became parents—especially those followed at U.S. CF centers and with registry records spanning before and after the birth—are the ideal participants.

Not a fit: People without cystic fibrosis, CF patients not followed in the U.S. CF Foundation Patient Registry or not seen at participating centers, and those whose parenting occurred well outside the 2011–2020 window are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly from this grant.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help people with CF and their care teams make informed family-planning decisions and tailor support to protect health during parenthood.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has used the CF Foundation Patient Registry for outcomes research, but this is one of the first large efforts to specifically compare pre- and post-parenthood health in the era of CFTR modulators.

Where this research is happening

Pittsburgh, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.