Children’s, Pitt Create Research Center to Promote Child and Adolescent Health

To improve the effectiveness of clinical research for infants, children and young adults, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Clinical Translational Science Institute have created the Center for Excellence in Child and Adolescent Health Research.

With this center, children and families will have an online resource to learn about research projects in which they may be eligible to participate and become partners with the scientific team to help answer critical questions that may lead to health improvements for the research participant and the community. This improved knowledge is intended to lead to more ready adoption of research-based practices and enhance trust in scientific findings.

“Our goal in establishing the center in pediatric research is to bring participants, families, researchers, health care providers and the community into our research home where we can learn from one another,” said Alejandro Hoberman, M.D., chief, Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Children’s, and the Jack L. Paradise Endowed Professor of Pediatric Research at Pitt’s School of Medicine.

The team will build a connection with families to instill trust that the research team will provide comprehensive medical care, and will always be available for any questions or concerns families may have.

“Together, we can promote the health of children and youth by advancing meaningful and innovative clinical research,” added Hoberman, who is also president, Children’s Community Pediatrics.

This initiative is in concert with a recommendation to strengthen clinical and translational research relevant to child health made by the consensus committee of the Institute of Medicine (now known as the Health and Medicine Division) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and is a culmination of efforts across multiple divisions. This is the first Center for Excellence in Research with the focus of child and adolescent health.

For more information, please visit www.chp.edu/research/research-excellence.