A one day symposium bringing together investigators, researchers, and clinicians from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Children’s National Hospital as well as other interested participants from outside institutions, to discuss the creation, progress, and evolution of this first-of-its-kind collaboration between the NIAID at the National Institutes of Health and Children's National, a pediatric academic medical center.
This year, the event will highlight the current COVID-19 and MIS-C pandemic, with a specific focus on the pediatric population. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID, will provide an overview on the infectious disease, and leading experts from Children’s National, NIAID, and other institutions will share the novel research and science being done to address this worldwide issue.
Background:
In 2017, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Children’s National Hospital launched a clinical research partnership devoted to protecting and advancing the health of children with allergic, immunologic, auto-inflammatory, and infectious disease through collaborative research and education. This strategic and novel alliance is supported through the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN). The partnership, co-led by H. Clifford Lane, M.D., Deputy Director for Clinical Research and Special Projects at NIAID, and Mark Batshaw, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Children’s National, holds the mission to generate and apply knowledge to promote the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of these childhood diseases through its work together.
For each area, designated investigators from each institution are collaborating to design and conduct clinical research studies that will advance prevention strategies, diagnoses, treatments, and cures for the diverse range of pediatric diseases involving the immune system. Many of these studies will include children at high risk for complications related to their underlying disease or to experimental therapeutics and diagnostic tests they receive. Research participants will have the opportunity to be seen at both Children’s National and the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Together, the two institutions provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art pediatric clinical support, infrastructure, and research capacity. These resources protect the safety of children, ensure that they receive the highest quality of care, and offer them the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge clinical research. In addition, the partnership established joint training opportunities for physician-scientists interested in caring for these children while developing their research expertise in pediatric immunology, allergic, and infectious diseases.
The collaboration is supported through an NIAID supplement to the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children's National, which is funded by a Clinical and Translational Science Award from NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences to Children’s National Health System and The George Washington University.