Cena Research Institute (CRI)
Cena Research Institute (CRI) bridges academia and industry to deliver high-impact clinical research in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and digital health—rooted in inclusivity and real-world evidence.
Clinical research that includes everyone.
We help pharma recruit patients, support medical device and AI companies in validating products in the U.S., and conduct clinical trials—all with a patient-first, inclusive approach.
Pharma Patient Recruitment
We help pharmaceutical sponsors reach and enroll diverse patients for clinical studies.
MedTech + AI Validation
We help medical device and AI companies validate their products for the U.S. market.
Clinical Trials
We conduct clinical trials with rigorous design and inclusive participation.
Local and Global Partners. Houston Advantage.
CRI supports both U.S. and international organizations in validating and scaling medical devices, digital health solutions, and therapeutic innovations.
From Houston, we connect innovators with diverse, multilingual patient populations to generate real-world, regulator-ready evidence.
Inclusivity strengthens results—and strengthens markets.
Who We Are
Cena Research Institute (CRI) is a multidisciplinary clinical research organization composed of physicians, scientists, and research staff conducting industry‑sponsored and investigator‑initiated studies across cardiovascular medicine, medical technology, and digital health.
CRI operates at the intersection of academic rigor and industry execution. Our research infrastructure is designed to support publication‑quality outcomes while remaining operationally aligned with sponsor timelines and regulatory expectations.
What We Do
Pharmaceutical Clinical Research
CRI executes Phase II–III pharmaceutical studies, including randomized and blinded trial designs, with a focus on cardiovascular and systemic diseases. Our approach emphasizes rigorous methodology, inclusive recruitment, and endpoints suitable for peer‑reviewed publication and regulatory submission.
Medical Device Research
CRI conducts clinical studies supporting medical device development, including safety, efficacy, and usability evaluations. Our experience includes FDA‑supporting research and physiologic validation across diverse patient populations.
Digital Health, AI & SaaS Evidence
CRI supports clinical validation of digital health platforms, artificial intelligence tools, and SaaS products. Our work includes real‑world evidence generation, algorithm validation, and workflow‑embedded clinical research designed to demonstrate real‑world applicability.
Why Clinical Research Inclusivity
Many clinical trials fail to reflect the populations ultimately served by healthcare innovations. CRI was established to address this gap by embedding inclusivity into study design, recruitment, and analysis.
Our research emphasizes participation from:
- Female patients
- Elderly populations
- Racial and ethnic minorities
- Underrepresented disease states
- Multilingual communities, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Hindi/Urdu
This approach produces data that is more generalizable, clinically relevant, and aligned with real‑world care delivery.
Meet our Team
Learn more about the multidisciplinary team of physicians, scientists, and research staff driving CRI's mission.
Selected Clinical Research Experience
TARGET BP I – Renal Denervation
International, randomized, sham‑controlled clinical trial evaluating alcohol‑mediated renal denervation. Results published in a peer‑reviewed cardiovascular journal.
ANTHOS TIMI‑76
Phase III outcomes trial evaluating abelacimab in patients with atrial fibrillation at high risk for stroke.
Valencell Clinical Studies
Large‑scale biometric validation studies across hypertensive and hypotensive populations.
EECP Clinical Research Programs
Clinical investigations in heart failure, post‑transplant physiology, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and cognitive outcomes.
Peer‑Reviewed Research & Thought Leadership
CRI investigators contribute to peer‑reviewed literature and scientific discourse across cardiovascular medicine, artificial intelligence, and digital health.
2024–2025 Publications
Exploring an AI‑First Healthcare System
Bioengineering (2026)
A framework for integrating artificial intelligence into healthcare delivery, clinical workflows, and system design.
Optical Absorption Figure of Merit for Photoplethysmography‑Based Cuffless Blood Pressure Across Diverse Skin Tones
Circulation (2025)
Evaluation of cuffless blood pressure technology with an emphasis on inclusive validation across skin tone variability.
Evaluating the Clinical Reasoning of GPT‑4, Grok, and Gemini in Different Fields of Cardiology
Circulation (2024)
Evaluation of large language models’ clinical reasoning capabilities across cardiology subspecialties.
Enhanced External Counterpulsation as a Novel Treatment for Heart Transplant Candidates with Ischemic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction
Circulation (2024)
Case study of EECP as a noninvasive outpatient treatment for ischemic HFrEF patients awaiting heart transplantation.
ZIP Code Stratification of Social Determinants of Health and Cardiovascular Disease Burden
Circulation (2025)
Examination of SDoH and cardiovascular disease burden by ZIP code to inform geographic health disparities.
2024 Publications
Brief Review and Primer of Key Terminology for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Hypertension
Hypertension (2024)
Establishes foundational terminology to support clinical implementation of AI in hypertension care.
Mental Health Applications of Generative AI and Large Language Modeling in the United States
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2024)
Assessment of generative AI applications, opportunities, and limitations in mental health care.
Circle of Vieussens: Its Importance in the Presence of Significant Coronary Artery Stenosis in a Young Female With Kawasaki Disease
Cureus (2024)
Clinical case highlighting diagnostic considerations in underrepresented patient populations.
Mal de Débarquement Syndrome: An Often Unrecognized and Underreported Condition
Cureus (2024)
Discussion of diagnostic challenges in an underrecognized neurologic condition.
Publications reflect independent scholarly work by CRI investigators. Journal appearance does not imply organizational endorsement.
Collaborate With CRI
CRI partners with pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and digital health organizations to execute rigorous, inclusive clinical research—from early validation through publication‑ready outcomes.