Our Research

female researcher

Advancing personalized pediatric care through innovative research

About Our Research Shriners Children's is committed to the pursuit of seminal, cutting-edge discoveries that result in new knowledge and the ongoing improvement of therapeutic treatments, quality of care and provided outcomes to our patients and their families.

Today’s Research is Tomorrow’s Patient Care

We stay at the forefront of pediatric research to provide high-quality, innovative clinical care to children. Our research aligns with our healthcare system’s clinical strengths by continually creating tools and building partnerships Through these actions and scientific breakthroughs, we raise Shriners Children's clinical research profile around the world.

Research Making A Difference

Conducting innovative research that will improve the quality of care and quality of life of children and families is part of the mission of Shriners Children's.

A Big Vision Founded on Humble Beginnings

What began as a small research effort with a budget of $12,000 is now a sophisticated multimillion-dollar program with international recognition. Over the years, our researchers have made significant breakthroughs in many of our our areas of specialty care – including burn care, congenital neuromuscular disorders, craniofacial conditions, orthopedics, spine care and sports medicine.

We're breaking ground in some of the most innovative areas of health care, including genetics and motion analysis. This work advances our ability to provide precision care and allows us to develop more effective, personalized treatment plans for our patients and treatment for children around the world. Our research team is changing how we provide care, through the evolution of the scientific discovery in our laboratories into new effective medical treatments.

To optimize any treatment, we make it specific to an individual – that’s the long-term goal for everybody, Shriners Children's included.
Marc Lalande, Ph.D., Vice President, Research, Shriners Children's

Advancing Precision Care Through Collaboration

Precision care is the future of medicine. It focuses on a patient's unique characteristics, including genetics and lifestyle, to develop personalized treatment plans for optimal results. Finding more advanced ways to provide precision care is the goal of every Shriners Children's research project.

To accomplish this goal requires a deeper understanding of the unique genetic traits of our patients and their family members, as genetics plays a role in the development of almost all diseases. Understanding the genetic causes of a disease will help us find more effective treatment options and perhaps allow us to reduce or eliminate the root causes of a disease in future generations.

In 2017, we launched our Genomics Institute Laboratory. Founded by our Vice President of Research, Marc Lalande, Ph.D., and operated by our Director of Research, Kamran Shazand, Ph.D., the Genomics Institute is involved in a number of ambitious pediatric genetic research collaborations with partners that include Georgia Tech, Jackson Laboratory, Howard University and Illumina Inc. We are working together to uncover major breakthroughs in pediatric precision care.

Other current research includes wearable and voice recognition devices for orthopedic and spine care patients, as well as motion analysis research for pediatric rehabilitation.

Funding the Future of Pediatric Research

Each year, Shriners Children's provides approximately $20M in funding for innovative research projects across the Shriner’s Children’s system. A portion of this funding goes toward shared facilities and training fellowships for our academic partners and industry collaborators.

If you or someone you know is interested in obtaining additional information related to our research, funding or partnering on a research initiative, please contact our research department.

Research at Shriners Children's

Research is one of the pillars of our mission. What began as a small research effort is now a multi-million dollar sophisticated program, involving peer review of grant applicati
Researcher in the genomics laboratory

Shriners Children's Genomics Institute Laboratory

The Shriners Children’s Genomics Institute Laboratory is driven to sequence 5,000 genomes yearly.

advancing pediatric clinical care

Give to Shriners Children's

Your donation supports the advancement of pediatric research and helps transform the way we care for children.

Nursing Excellence

Our nursing team innovates through leadership and a personalized approach to care.

Specialty Pediatric Care

Explore the specialty pediatric care we offer at Shriners Children's.
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