Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute

Researchers in our Penn-CHOP Kidney Innovation Center announced the creation of a groundbreaking kidney atlas this week that will make a big difference for individuals impacted by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Their findings were published in the journal Nature Genetics. “Human kidneys are intricate three-dimensional structures in the body, but until this research, the spatial and molecular principles of kidney health and disease were not well understood,” said Katalin Susztak, Co-Leader of the center, a research collaboration between CHOP and Penn-Medicine focused on transforming patient care through early detection, prevention and treatment of kidney disease and its complications across the lifespan. “We now have a powerful tool for prognosis, outperforming traditional histopathological analysis especially in early-stage kidney disease.” Learn more about this exciting development: http://ms.spr.ly/6042lXq66.

Meet our newest Research Hero, 16-year-old Balin! When Balin received the rare diagnosis of a fibro-adipose vascular anomaly (FAVA), he and his family wanted to know how they could help clinicians dig deeper into the disorder. At the suggestion of Denise Adams, MD, director of the Comprehensive Vascular Anomalies Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Balin and his family set out to round up a list of people around the world with FAVA who would help researchers study the disorder’s pathology, progression, and causes. Today, Balin and his family have accomplished that goal and so much more with their nonprofit, @Project FAVA. Learn about our newest CHOP Research Hero on Cornerstone: http://ms.spr.ly/6049lnS8f

One of my favorite parts of recording the Bench to Bedside podcast is getting to learn so much about the fantastic individuals who make Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute shine. In this episode, available now on Spotify, I sat down with Florin Tuluc, MD, PhD, director of CHOP's Flow Cytometry Core. Dr. Tuluc truly leads this uniquely collaborative core with his whole heart and mind: He ensures all researchers at CHOP have equal access to our advanced flow cytometry technologies, stays up to date on the needs of our scientists, and takes special interest in the impact of the research projects that come through the Core. Listen to the episode now! http://ms.spr.ly/6046lp2fY

This week in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia #ResearchNews: ▫️ A new Center of Excellence investigates telomere biology disorders; ▫️ CHOP awards 11 researchers Foerderer Grants to further collaborative work in hematology, neurology, psychology, and more; ▫️ Researchers publish novel findings on the impact of caregiver support on anxiety and depression in LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ youths. Read the full line-up of recent headlines on Cornerstone: http://ms.spr.ly/6040lrRfk

👋Last week, we hosted Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute CHOP-RISES students, where they had the opportunity to learn about our driving simulators and research on distracted driving from Chelsea Ward McIntosh, MS, CCRP. #SafeDriving #Research #Internship

Sarah Henrickson, MD, PhD, a researcher in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Division of Allergy and Immunology, was persistent when a newborn presented at CHOP with a low T-cell count and a unique gene mutation. She pursued the mystery of the rare mutation for over a decade — a choice that, today, has led to the characterization of a new condition and the uniting of international research teams. Dr. Henrickson and her colleagues described the condition, human pre-T cell receptor alpha deficiency (pre-TCRα), in the journal Science. “This is an example of how much one patient can teach you,” said Dr. Henrickson. “As a doctor, it’s important to chase the stories that your patients present you with and try to come up with a precise and targeted answer, rather than trying to fit a new patient in an old box.” Read the full story on Cornerstone: http://ms.spr.ly/6042lR5Ma #RareDisease #CHOPResearch #DiagnosticOdyssey #ImmunologyResearch #Genetics #UndiagnosedDisease

In a new #CHOPOffCampus story, Suvy Dahal, clinical research coordinator in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia’s Division of Hematology, shares how after a packed workday of managing and coordinating clinical trials, she turns to painting and dreaming up fantastical artwork to recharge. “You might think that after a long day at work, you'd be too exhausted to take all of the supplies out, start mixing paint colors, and pick up a paintbrush,” Dahal said. “But I find it very therapeutic and relaxing. Even when I have had a tired day, I push myself to paint consistently and always feel more energized when I'm done.” Read more on Cornerstone: http://ms.spr.ly/6049lO257

Supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Jerome Taylor, MD, a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia psychiatrist, and his colleagues are studying the biological factors such as oxidative stress that could cause psychosis symptoms in children to progress into later adolescence or adulthood. “Untreated schizophrenia is one of the most disabling health conditions that exists,” Dr. Taylor said. “Amidst the mental health crisis, if we can catch these teens earlier and improve long-term outcomes, it will hopefully ease this crisis we’re seeing.” Learn more on Cornerstone: http://ms.spr.ly/6042ly32A

Behind the big breakthroughs at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, passionate teams like our Flow Cytometry Core support researchers in the more minute aspects of research such as cell sorting, functional assays, processing, and more. In the latest episode of our Bench to Bedside podcast, Florin Tuluc, MD, PhD, Director of the Flow Cytometry Core, chats with Susan Furth, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at CHOP and podcast host, to share what makes his team so successful. Stream the episode on Spotify or Podbean now: http://ms.spr.ly/6046lDx2j #Cytometry #LifeSciences #BasicScience #ResearchResources #Immunology

Our researchers along with a team at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine pioneered a new model that offers a potential platform for developing novel therapies to treat Alpha Thalassemia, a severe blood disorder. The findings were recently published in the journal Blood.