Research at Shriners Children's Hawai`i

Thanks to the dedication of our physicians and researchers, the dream that scientific breakthroughs will give doctors the tools and medicines to cure disease is becoming reality.

Our mission at Shriners Children's Hawai`i is to conduct research that will continue to advance the methods we use to provide care to children with orthopedic conditions. By enhancing and developing new therapeutic approaches for use during and following hospitalization, our research team is continually looking at ways to reduce patient treatment and recovery times, while maintaining the same high-quality outcomes that our patients and their families have come to expect from us.

The Shriners Children's Hawai`i research department specializes in:

• Genomics
• Orthopedics
• Cerebral Palsy
• Clubfoot
• Psychosocial factors (quality of life, suicide screening, resilience, pet therapy)

Our physicians and researchers are actively engaged in ongoing research and are continually developing new and innovative ways to treat and care for children. Our Hawai`i research team is making breakthroughs in a number of different areas.

Through collaborations and the use of cutting-edge technology, our research department is currently :

• Collecting and analyzing samples and health information to develop a genomics database, contributing to the advancement of precision medicine (part of the systemwide Genomics Institute program)
• Studying the long-term outcomes of hip interventions for children with cerebral palsy (part of an international multicenter study)
• Participating in an international registry on slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) and arthrogryposis
• Measuring actual vs. perceived exertion for children wearing face masks during moderate to vigorous activity
• Screening for suicidal ideation and its relation to scoliosis patients
• Exploring availability and perspectives of language translation services in outreach clinics in low and middle-income countries in the Pacific Basin

As part of our commitment to advancing pediatric research, our Hawai`i facility holds its Shriners Research `Aha (conference) for healthcare providers. The purpose of this conference is to educate healthcare teams on new and innovative approaches to caring for children with orthopedic conditions, which are being made possible through advances in science and research.

The Shriners Children's Hawai`i research program is an integral part of the systemwide Shriners Children's research program, driven to find cures and treatments that allow us to provide amazing care to children everywhere.