Research, Education & Innovation Week 2024

April 22, 2024

Gene and Cell Therapy: Delivering on the Promise

Poster session during REI Week 2023. — **REI Week 2024 will have poster sessions, lectures and workshops**400 participants submitted abstracts for this year's event.

Celebrating 14 years of scholarly achievements of our faculty, staff and trainees, focusing on gene and cell therapies.

Each year, Children’s National Research Institute hosts Research, Education & Innovation Week to showcase the wide array of research and education programs occurring throughout the institution. This week-long celebration includes poster presentations, guest lectures, educational workshops and panel discussions.

REI Week began in 2000 as a Research Day in order to showcase the breadth of translational, clinical, and community research and educational projects performed in our hospital. The inaugural Research Day hosted approximately 100 research projects.

Access event portal 🔒

Abstract portal >

Guidelines: Abstracts | Posters | CME Credit | Responsible Conduct of Research Training

Recordings for select lectures are available below.

**Catherine Bollard and Nathan Kuppermann during a poster session.**

Children' s National logo during a poster session

**Michelle Riley-Brown during poster sessions speaking to a presenter with Patric Hanley**

**Poster session at the Costco Wholesale Atrium**

**Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards presentation**

**DEI Awardees during the award ceremony of REI Week 2024**

All keynote lectures will be available via Zoom, offering Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit.
Children’s National Hospital is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
On-demand video will be available on ChildrensRNCast.

Schedule

8:30-10 a.m. | Research Atrium, 5th Floor Main, Main Hospital

REI Week Kickoff: Bagel Breakfast

Join us to kick off REI Week 2024 with a bagel breakfast with your fellow researchers.

12-1 p.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual

Allistair Abraham Inaugural Lecture | “The curative therapy for sickle cell disease: The good, the bad and the future”

Michael R. DeBaun, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine; JC Peterson Endowed Chair; Vice Chair for Clinical Research in Pediatrics; Founder and Director, Vanderbilt-Meharry Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease, Vanderbilt University

WATCH >

1-3 p.m. | Costco Wholesale Atrium, 1st Floor, Main Hospital
Poster Session

Presenting authors will stand with their posters during their poster session and will be available for questions and discussions regarding their projects.

Themes:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Asthma and Respiratory
- Cancer, Immunology & BMT
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery
- Community Research
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities
- Diabetes
- Emergency Medicine & Trauma
8-9 a.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual

Keynote Lecture | ”Developing C A R T cells for pediatric cancers”

Crystal L. Mackall, M.D.
Director, Standford Center for Cell Therapy
Director, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Associate Director, Standford Cancer Institute

10-11 a.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual
Keynote Lecture | “A change of heart: From genetics of congenital heart disease to new therapeutics”
Deepak Srivastava, M.D.
President and Senior Investigator
Gladstone Institutes

WATCH >

12-1 p.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual
Keynote Lecture | “Novel therapies for children and adolescents”
Catherine M. Gordon, M.D., M.S.
Clinical Director, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institutes of Health

WATCH >

1-3 p.m. | Costco Wholesale Atrium, 1st Floor, Main Hospital
Poster Session
Presenting authors will stand with their posters during their poster session and will be available for questions and discussions regarding their projects.

Themes:
- Adolescent Medicine
- Endocrinology and Metabolic Disorders
- General Pediatrics
- Genetics, Genetic Predisposition
- Global Health
- Health Disparities
- Health Services
- Imaging
- Infectious Disease and HIV
- Informatics and Technology
- Medical Education
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Psychology
- Surgical Innovation
8-9 a.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual
Larrie Greenberg Lecture | “Medical education in an era of high value care: Can the patient be saved?”
Lewis R. First, M.D., M.S.
Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine; Chief of Pediatrics, UVM Children’s Hospital; Editor-in-Chief, Pediatrics

9:30-11 a.m. | Board Room, 5th Floor West Wing, Main Hospital | Virtual
CAPE Session | “Behind the scenes at the Journal Pediatrics”
This is a session that helps attendees understand what happens after they have submitted a manuscript to our journal as well as pitfalls to avoid in the authoring and reviewing process. Some ethical issues in medical journalism are also discussed during the course of this session.

Lewis R. First, M.D., M.S.
Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine; Chief of Pediatrics, UVM Children’s Hospital; Editor-in-Chief, Pediatrics

11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Conference Room M7607, 6th Floor, Main Hospital
CTSI-CN Session | The Clinical Research Unit (CRU) spotlight
Elena Gibson, R.N., C.C.R.P.

Please join us to learn more about the team, operations, and services provided by the Clinical Unit (CRU) at Children’s National. Light refreshments will be served.

12-1 p.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual
Jill Joseph Grand Rounds Lecture | “Enhancing diversity in pursuit of health equity in genetics and genomics”
Vence L. Bonham Jr., J.D.
Acting Deputy Director, Office of the Director; Associate Investigator, Social and Behavioral Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health

Learning objectives:
1. Discuss the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) report on Using Population Descriptors in Genetics and Genomics Research and its implementation in research studies.
2. Examine the importance of diverse populations in genetics and genomics research.
3. Review National Human Genome Research Institute and NIH programs to enhance workforce diversity in the field of genetics and genomics.
WATCH >

1-3 p.m. | Costco Wholesale Atrium, 1st Floor, Main Hospital
Poster Session
Presenting authors will stand with their posters during their poster session and will be available for questions and discussions regarding their projects.

Abstract Themes:
- Fetal Medicine
- Neonatology
- Neurology, Epilepsy and Sleep Medicine
- Neuroscience and Neuroprotection
- Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes
- Nutrition, Obesity and Gastroenterology
- Oncology
- Otolaryngology
- Pain and Perioperative Medicine
- Palliative Care
- Pharmacology
- Quality Improvement
- Safety and Risk Management
- Sports Medicine and Orthopedics
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Urology
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual
Nursing Lecture | “Translating genomic discoveries into pediatric practice”
Cynthia A. Prows, M.S.N., A.P.R.N., F.A.A.N.
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Cincinnati Children’s

WATCH >

4-5 p.m. | Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Main Hospital

Awards Ceremony
- Mentorship Awards
- Elda Arce Teaching Scholar Award
- Suzanne Feetham Nursing Research Support Award
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards
- Global Health Initiative Explorations in Global Health Pilot Awards
8-9 a.m. | Virtual

Global Health Lecture | “Bringing HIV cell and gene therapy to resource limited parts of the world”

Cissy Kityo Mutuluzza, M.B.Ch.B., M.Sc, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Joint Clinical Research Centre, Uganda

WATCH >

8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. | Research & Innovation Campus | Virtual
34th Annual Pediatric Neurology Update | Innovations for Cures and Care

The Children’s National Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine is proud to host the 34th Annual Pediatric Neurology Update course on Thursday, April 25th. The Center is committed to translating the newest discoveries in child neurology to more effective therapies.

REGISTER >

10 a.m.–7 p.m. | Research & Innovation Campus

Children’s National Innovation Day & Showcase

Innovation Day will primarily focus on Children’s National’s life science projects that are looking for strategic partnerships as well as co-development and licensing opportunities. The event will also showcase startup companies whose missions are aligned with our quest to bring more pediatric products to market.

REGISTER >

3-4 p.m. | Classroom A, 5th Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual
GCAF Session | Submitting with success: Navigating the NIH application process

Presenters: Lisbeth Welniak, Ph.D., and Caroline P. Wellington, M.P.A.
8:30-10 a.m. | Classroom A, 5th Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual

CAPE Session | “Getting promoted: How to make your medical education DEI work count”

Facilitators: Theiline Gborkorquellie, M.D., M.H.S., F.A.A.P., and Jessica Hippolyte, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P.

10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Research & Innovation Campus

Pediatric Medical Devices for Optimizing the Heart-Brain Continuum

The heart-brain continuum underscores the vital connection between cardiac function and brain health. This connection is particularly critical for children with congenital heart disease (CHD), where maintaining optimal cerebral oxygenation is paramount for positive neurodevelopmental outcomes. In pediatrics and other patients, non-invasive monitoring devices play a crucial role in this relationship, as they provide real-time insights into hemodynamic variables, cerebral oxygenation, and intracranial pressure (ICP). By tracking these metrics, clinicians can better manage the delicate balance between oxygen delivery and consumption, thereby preventing brain injury and promoting optimal neurodevelopment. As such, developing pediatric medical devices (PMDs) for non-invasive monitoring of both cardiac and cerebral status becomes imperative, especially in the care of critically ill neonates, infants, and children, to promptly identify abnormalities in hemodynamics and cerebral perfusion for effective intervention.

The symposium aims to explore the latest advancements and challenges in pediatric cardiac and non-invasive monitoring device development from an industry perspective. It will provide a platform for collaborative dialogue among experts in the field, with the goal of informing the development of innovative solutions to address unmet clinical needs in pediatric cardiac and neurocritical care.

REGISTER >

11-12 p.m. | Costco Atrium, 1st Floor, Main Hospital | Virtual

RCR Presents | Hello, Dr. Bear. Can you hear my very loud and very quiet questions about being in a research study?

Special Guests: Dr. Bear; Puppeteer Genna Beth Davidson, M.F.A.; Vanessa Madrigal, M.D., and friends

12-1 p.m. | Virtual

CAPE Session | Medical Education Pathway Showcase

Presenters: Ian Chua, M.D., and Jeremy Kern, M.D.

1-2:30 p.m. | Virtual

Global Health Workshop | Translating research into practice: Maximizing pediatric control recruitment and retention in the United States and beyond