Inaugural Pediatric Research Day a Success

On October 30, more than 150 participants gathered in person and online, as the CU Department of Pediatrics (DOP), Colorado Child Health Research Institute (CCHRI), and Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS) proudly hosted the inaugural Pediatric Research Day.

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Charles Sagerström, PhD, vice chair for basic science research, DOP, alongside Stephen Daniels, MD, PhD, chair, DOP, and Raphe Schwartz, chief strategy officer at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Attendees enjoyed the premiere of an engaging new research video, highlighting our collective legacy of pushing the boundaries of child health research.

To provide a glimpse of the impressive research being done in pediatric medicine, the event featured a variety of presentations, including highlights from faculty members across the research spectrum, panel discussions and a keynote address by Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA.

“The Pediatric Research Day event serves as a platform to share new discoveries, celebrate recent successes and strengthen our child health research community on campus,” remarked Sagerström.

Panels

The event included two thought-provoking panel discussions. The first, moderated by chief scientific officer, Child Health, Ron Sokol, MD, focused on “The Present and Future of Child Health Research on the Anschutz Medical Campus.” Panelists Bruce Appel, PhD, Scott Demarest, MD, Nancy Krebs, MD, MS, and Shelley Miyamoto, MD, discussed national themes, with a particular emphasis on pediatric research topics relevant to the campus.

“In 2023, I consulted with 15 of our top funded child health investigators on campus as part of a listening tour. I asked them to share their scientific priorities for the future, and their responses ranged from reimagining collaboration, omics and precision medicine, health equity, preventative health, mental health, lifecourse research, and many more,” Sokol shared.

The second panel, “Mentoring Across the Research Career,” was moderated by Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, LMFT, CFLE, director of ACCORDS. Panelists included Samuel Dominguez, MD, PhD, Nick Foreman, MD, Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, and Kevin Messacar, MD, PhD, who discussed the necessity of mentorship for researchers at all stages and the critical role of “team science,” emphasizing that research cannot be accomplished alone.

Research Presentations

Clinical Research Director, CCHRI, Darcy Thompson, MD, MPH, introduced research talks highlighting the latest findings from faculty members, showcasing diverse aspects of the child health research community. “We’re fortunate to have four faculty members share a glimpse into the exciting, innovative work being conducted across the research spectrum,” said Thompson.

• Julie Siegenthaler, PhD, associate professor, Section of Developmental Biology: “Making and Breaking Meningeal Barriers”
• Steve Abman, MD, professor, Section of Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine: “Preserving Vascular Development for the Prevention of Neonatal Lung Disease”
• Tina Studts, PhD, MSPH, LCSW, associate professor, Section of General Academic Pediatrics: “Implementation Science in Child Health Research at CU Anschutz Medical Campus”
• Glenn Furuta, MD, professor and head, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition: “Transforming Care of Children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis through Multidisciplinary Research”

Research Awards

Jamie Feinstein, MD, MPH, medical director, CCHRI, had the honor of presenting the inaugural awards that recognize the remarkable spirit of innovation and collaboration within the community.

• The Early-Stage Investigator Award was presented to Benjamin Frank, MD, associate professor, Section of Cardiology, acknowledging his outstanding contributions and potential for a successful career in research.
• The Research Mentor Award was presented to Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, professor, Section of General Pediatrics, for her significant impact on mentoring an international community of researchers, who now comprise of the next generation of research mentors.
• The Team Science Award recognized the Fetal Metabolic Team at the Perinatal Research Center – represented by Laura Brown, MD, Paul Rozance, MD, professors, and Stephanie Wesolowski, PhD, associate professor, Section of Neonatology, for their exceptional collaboration in advancing the field of fetal physiology.
• The Outstanding Publication Award was presented to Tell Bennett, MD, professor and vice chair of clinical informatics, Department of Biomedical Informatics, for his significant work titled “Development and Validation of the Phoenix Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock,” published in JAMA in 2024.

Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Research, DOP, Kristen Nadeau, MD, MS, concluded the event by expressing gratitude to attendees, presenters, panelists and the event planning committee. 

“Our inaugural Research Day was a resounding success. It was a great opportunity for a broad audience to see elements of our wide range of successful research programs in the Department of Pediatrics. I look forward to this becoming an annual event,” stated Daniels. 

Stay tuned for Pediatric Research Day 2025.