A Banner Year for Research Discoveries; Foundation Laid for Future Successes

Scientific Discovery to Medical Innovation »

Chasing Down an HIV Vaccine: Stopping the Virus Before It Invades

Vaccines are among the most effective ways of preventing disease, and for more than two decades investigators around the world have used traditional approaches to develop a vaccine for HIV. Those traditional approaches have failed because of HIV’s unique ability to hide in cells, mutate, evade detection, and destroy critical immune cells. However, a novel gene transfer approach developed by Philip Johnson, MD, may have broken the HIV vaccine impasse.

In Search of Immunology’s Current ‘Holy Grail’ — How T Cells Are Triggered

T cells often wield the greatest power in fighting infection. But HIV has proven efficient in killing the cells, rendering those with low T-cell counts susceptible to developing AIDS. Terri Finkel, MD, PhD, is investigating the chain of events leading to T-cell activation and specific parts of a cell receptor that may be a key to eliminating the virus.

Playing a Key Role in HIV Prevention, Treatment From Bench to Bedside

The standard therapy to prevent HIV from developing into AIDS is not effective for all patients and fails to control some of the neuropsychiatric problems like dementia that nearly half of all patients with AIDS experience. Steven Douglas, MD, is working to develop a novel HIV drug that targets a specific cell receptor to treat these HIV-related cognitive impairments.

Enhancing Survival, Quality of Life Through HIV Clinical Research

Advances in understanding how HIV works and the development of drug therapies have significantly extended the life expectancy of those infected with the virus. The improvement in the quality and length of life for people living with HIV can be attributed to a remarkable collaborative global research effort to conduct clinical studies that will find the best therapies to combat HIV.

Catalysts for Change »

Dietary Branched-Chain Amino Acids as a Possible Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the primary cause of death and disability in children and young adults, affecting nearly 2 million people a year in the United States alone. TBI can cause changes inside the brain that lead to long-lasting cognitive problems. Akiva Cohen, PhD, has developed a potential approach to prevent any devastating long-term cognitive dysfunction caused by TBI.

Bridging Research and the Marketplace »

Innovations Reach Their Full Potential With the Guidance of Technology Transfer

Improving the health of children is the ambition of every research program at Children's Hospital. But even the most extraordinary discovery may require years of development to become a product that has an impact on children across the globe. The Office of Technology Transfer helps transition discoveries with the potential to prevent or treat a pediatric disease into tangible products available to patients. Read More

The War for Talent »

Distinguished Cancer Researcher Retires After a 60Year Career

The lives of children battling cancer have improved dramatically over more than half a century, thanks to the groundbreaking research and an innovative and comprehensive approach to clinical care provided by Audrey Evans, MD, who retired from Children's Hospital after 60 years. Read More

Building the Future of Research »

Building Upon Our Solid Foundation of Cutting-Edge Research

The Research Institute’s reputation as the preeminent institution conducting translational research for children received a significant boost when it recently opened the doors to its new $400 million, state-of-the-art, environmentally responsible research facility. The Colket Translational Research Building advances the Hospital’s goal of moving basic science investigations into real-life treatments and cures.

Publication Highlights

Notable Grant Awards

PolicyLab: New Center Bridges Research, Practice, and Policy

Research is a critical component in improving the health of children everywhere. Too often, however, the best evidence fails to make it into real-world practice. PolicyLab, a new Center of Emphasis at Children’s Hospital, aims to ensure optimal child health and well-being by informing programmatic and policy changes through interdisciplinary research.

Taking a More Scientific Approach to Nursing Research

Nursing encompasses far more than taking care of a patient’s immediate needs. More than tradition in practice, nursing is an active, engaging endeavor at the center of patient care that leads to countless research questions. The Center for Pediatric Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice integrates nursing research into practice to improve the outcomes for patients and families.

Affinity Groups Connect Investigators Working Toward Common Goals

Sometimes the path to eradicating diseases in children does not follow traditional routes, such as working within the confines of an academic discipline. The Hospital’s Research Affinity Groups provide opportunities and resources for investigators to interact with others who share a common research objective, regardless of their background or specialty.

Research-Supported Guidance for Ethical Decisions

Providing optimal medical care for children requires focusing not only on the what and how of treatment but also the why — the hopes, goals, and reasons that guide the decisions made by caregivers. The Department of Medical Ethics ensures that all ethical decisions are made based on the soundest available evidence and practices, and aims to ingrain the habit of considering the “whys” of treatment into every aspect of patient care.