Research Programs
Children's Health Research Center (CHRC)
This is the basic science research-training arm of the Department of Pediatrics. Established in July 2001, and directed by Gary Schoenwolf, Ph.D. Currently, there are 56 trainees; 2/3 of which are faculty and 1/3 are fellows. The CHRC partners incoming fellows and junior faculty with experienced investigators, especially in our institutional strengths in developmental biology and genetics. Its goals include 1) to provide rigorous training and mentoring in contemporary research methods, and 2) to foster productive collaboration between basic science and clinical investigators.The CHRC provides a stimulating research and training environment through sponsorship of the Research in Progress series, a weekly scientific presentation forum; departmental Scientist Career-Skills Curriculum; presentations at mentoring luncheons; and departmental research conferences. The CHRC carefully monitors the mentoring relationships and the productivity of pediatric fellows and junior faculty. Scholars in the Utah CHRCDA and in the PCAT program participate in the activities of the CHRC and benefit from the collaborative interactions and scholarly oversight.
The Vice President for Health Sciences invested $300,000 to establish the CHRC and to renovate space in the School of Medicine for laboratories and offices for CHRC investigators. Ongoing funding of the CHRC is provided by the Department of Pediatrics ($230,000/year) and the Primary Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) Foundation ($200,000/year). There is generous internal support for junior pediatric physician-scientists. Contact Gary C. Schoenwolf, Ph.D., CHRC Director at 581-6453 schoenwolf@hsc.utah.edu
Child Health Research Career Development Award (CHRCDA)
Genetic and Developmental Mechanisms of Pediatric Disease. This award funds 4 junior faculty per year allowing them 75% protected time for their research program. The CHRCDA Program Director is James F. Bale, Jr., MD. The day-to-day management, mentoring, and monitoring of the trainees in this program occurs under the auspices of the Child Health Research Center.
Pediatric Clinical and Translational (PCAT) Research Scholars Program
This is the clinical and translational research-training arm of the Department of Pediatrics. Established in January 2007, the program is led by Carrie Byington, MD, Director and Heather Keenan, MDCM, MPH, PhD, Assistant Director. The PCAT program accepted its inaugural class of 14 junior faculty in July 2007. The goals of the PCAT program are to:
- support clinician investigators
- enhance pediatric research quality
- increase extramural funding available to clinician investigators.
The PREP office staff and senior faculty provide scientific and career development support to PCAT scholars. All scholars meet with Drs. Byington and Keenan in July to establish research goals and a realistic timeline for the academic year. The PCAT directors carefully monitor the progress of each scholar and meet frequently with scholars and mentoring committees each year. In June the PCAT directors meet with each scholar individually to review annual progress and provide formal feedback to the scholar, the mentoring committee, and the scholar’s division chief. The PCAT program also provides scholars with access to critical services including biostatistical consultation, research coordination, research database support, proposal review and editing, and grants and contracts research administration. In addition to these support services, the PCAT scholars are part of a larger community of scientists. The scholars receive peer mentoring through the monthly PCAT seminars. In addition, PCAT scholars are integrated into the CHRC and interact with basic scientists at weekly Research in Progress, the annual All Pediatric Research Conferences, the Departmental Grant Writing Workshops, and annual research luncheons. In the first year of the PCAT program, over $9 million in extramural applications were submitted. New scholars are chosen in July of each year through a nomination process and competitive review. Scholars remain in the program for two-years.
In July 2008, new support staff were hired to offer services to investigators department wide. The office name was changed to the Pediatric Research Excellence Partnership (PREP) Office to recognize its expanded services to investigators department wide.
In October 2006, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) to help institutions form a transformative, novel, and integrative academic home for Clinical and Translational Science. The University of Utah was awarded the CTSA in May 2008. Dr. Carrie Byington serves as Associate Director of the CTSA and is responsible for Minority and Vulnerable Populations including children. The Department of Pediatrics Research Enterprise is well aligned with the University’s program.
The future goal of the Department of Pediatrics is to create a research institute that supports all phases of the research cycle and integrates our research strengths with those of the University of Utah Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Intermountain Healthcare. The CHILD Institute is an acronym for Children’s Health: Investigation, Leadership, and Development. The CHILD Institute will consist of a group of investigators, leaders, caregivers, and supporters who are dedicated to improving the health of children throughout the world. The focus of the CHILD Institute will be to understand, develop, and implement strategies that positively affect the foundations of adult life. Several critical stages that determine adult health including: preconception, conception, embryonic, fetal, neonatal, infancy, childhood, and adolescence will be the focus of all research activities.
Mentored Program in Pediatric Research
This program pairs senior level medical students interested in a pediatric career with experienced academicians and mentors with expertise in pediatric research. The in-depth, mentored experience provides students with the opportunity to 1) develop a relationship with the mentor, 2) develop skills in pediatric research methods and scientific oral and written presentation, and 3) enhance their pediatric career development. The program is led by Carrie L. Byington, MD.