Overview

Overview

Founded in 2004, the central goal of the Center for Pediatric Research at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children/Nemours is to expand new and existing translational research programs on pediatric disorders within the state of Delaware. Supported by a grant from the NIH National Center for Research Resources Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program (1 P20 RR020173) and by the Nemours Foundation, the Center for Pediatric Research fosters the development new physician/scientists (target investigators) to become independent investigators. This is accomplished by providing these investigators with essential resources including core laboratory services, technical and administrative expertise and an enriched academic environment including a structured mentoring program wherein experienced investigators provide scientific and academic guidance to the target investigators. Together these provide a foundation that will ensure the expansion of Pediatric research in Delaware and will increase extramural funding to Nemours investigators.

Since its inception, the Center for Pediatric Research has supported the research programs of six target investigators whose work focuses on a broad range of Pediatric disorders. Core services have been developed or expanded to support Biomolecular, Cell Science, Flow Cytometry/FACS, Clinical Research Services and Bioinformatics Core activities. In addition, in 2007, a number of new faculty were recruited to join the Center including an established senior investigator, Ayyappan Rajasekaran, Ph.D and two junior faculty members, Kamin Johnson Ph.D and Sigrid Rajasekaran, Ph.D. Center activities have been further supported by renovations to our research facilities at Rockland Center One (2007) and the Life Science Center (2008).

Each year, the Nemours Center for Pediatric Research hosts a two-day retreat in September, which coincides with a meeting of the external advisory committee. This retreat provides a forum for informal interaction among the Center investigators and also provides a time for direct interaction of the external advisory committee members with the target investigators for review and advisement of their progress.

The COBRE grant that supports the Center for Pediatric Research is a component of the NIH's Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program that seeks to support multidisciplinary centers that provide infrastructure to develop and expand research capabilities at institutions located in states, such as Delaware, where NIH funding has historically been low. In keeping with these goals, a number of Center faculty have been successful in procuring extramural support for their research programs with four NIH and six foundation or corporate grants awarded to COBRE investigators since the grant was awarded in 2004.