Federal Funding of $2 Million Granted to Researchers at Golisano Children's Hospital for Development Purposes
The Child Health Research Centers program at Golisano Children's Hospital, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, has been awarded a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to focus on groundbreaking pediatric research. The goal is to prevent childhood diseases, limit complications from treatment, and effectively manage chronic illnesses, with the ultimate aim of improving long-term health trajectories for children [1].
The grant, part of the Endocrinology, Nutrition and Growth Branch of the NICHD, is dedicated to Molecular Translational Pediatrics. This means understanding how genes influence diseases in babies, children, and adolescents [1].
The program, under the leadership of Nina F. Schor, M.D., Ph.D., pediatrician-in-chief at Golisano Children's Hospital, aims to cultivate junior investigators, helping them to develop research within their area of expertise, sharpen analytical and practical skills, and establish themselves as ethically and scientifically sound clinical researchers [1].
By the third year of the grant, the program will include four scholars from Golisano Children's Hospital. These scholars will spend 75 percent of their time conducting research in their specialty areas, with more than 20 faculty members acting as research mentors [1].
Jennifer L. Nayak, M.D., a senior instructor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and Kristin M. Scheible, M.D., a senior instructor in Neonatology and Pediatrics, will enroll in the program during its first year [1].
Francis Gigliotti, M.D., the chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Golisano Children's Hospital, will manage the day-to-day responsibilities of the program as training director. He will also chair a program advisory committee, which includes five mentors for the junior investigators [1].
The advisory committee will provide guidance and support to the junior investigators throughout their research. Conducting translational research, as part of this grant, involves getting research to the clinical trials stage more quickly and efficiently [1].
The research findings from this grant will be taken back to laboratories for adjustments and improvements in therapies for patients. The work is conducted at Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center, making it one of approximately 30 departments in the United States to receive a grant [1].
The Child Health Research Centers program is part of a broader mission at Golisano Children's Hospital to understand the biological, developmental, and clinical aspects of pediatric health issues to improve outcomes for children, including those with chronic illnesses and complex conditions affecting childhood development [1].
[1] Based on provided bullet points.
- The Child Health Research Centers program, focusing on health research and clinical trials, aims to improve long-term health trajectories for children by understanding and managing chronic illnesses, prevent childhood diseases, and limit complications from treatment.
- The grant awarded to the program under the Endocrinology, Nutrition and Growth Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is dedicated to Molecular Translational Pediatrics, which involves scientific research on how genes influence diseases in babies, children, and adolescents.
- As part of their education and self-development, junior investigators in the program will conduct research within their area of expertise, receive mentorship from more than 20 faculty members, and sharpen their analytical and practical skills to establish themselves as ethically and scientifically sound clinical researchers in the field of health-and-wellness and education-and-self-development.
