Pediatric Research 101

A robust commitment to child health research is essential if we are to make gains in our understanding of diseases and conditions that affect children and develop new interventions, therapies and – ultimately – cures. But in addition to benefiting our children, particularly those navigating an illness, pediatric research is also important to our ability to understand, prevent and address conditions that may onset later in life and to improve overall health and well-being.

There continues to be an increasing recognition that environmental exposures, traumas and other adverse experiences during childhood make later year health challenges more likely. Examples of these challenges include premature birth and low birth weight, exposure to environmental toxins, childhood obesity and traumatic experiences. Through a vibrant pediatric research ecosystem, we can maximize our abilities to achieve research breakthroughs to improve the health and well-being of the children of today and the adults of tomorrow.

Unfortunately, attracting and retaining researchers to the field of pediatric medical research is increasingly difficult. Challenges are myriad and include limited research funding pots, challenges for those who are both physicians and scientists in balancing clinical and research demands, more attractive work-life offers from other sectors, and – particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on laboratory operations – delays and added costs associated with research activity.

Additionally, because pediatrics is a smaller field compared to adult medicine, it can often be challenging for pediatrics to compete against adult-oriented project applications absent any level of pediatric prioritization. The ramifications of this reality have been limited support for child health research as part of larger NIH initiatives such as the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA), Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Moonshot, and other programs.