Upcoming Events

4th Annual Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture: Discovery and Development of HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

Date: June 24, 2019

Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Location: The Wistar Institute, Caplan Auditorium, 3601 Spruce Street

This free scientific lecture on innovations in HIV/AIDS research, treatment, and prevention is held each year in memory of leading AIDS activist Jonathan Lax. This year's honoree is Michel C. Nussenzweig, M.D., Ph.D., Zanvil A. Cohn and Ralph M. Steinman Professor, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Senior Physician, The Rockefeller University. Learn more.

Philadelphia FIGHT PrEP Breakfast

Date: July 17, 2019

Time: 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Location: William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce Street 

This event is for health care providers and professionals in the Philadelphia Metro region. Come and learn about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) the once daily pill that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV through sex when taken every day and used together with other proven prevention methods. Learn more.

Symposium on Gram Negative Bacteria Resistance

Date: July 31, 2019

Time: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Location: The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street

The conference focuses on pathophysiology and prevention of Gram-negative bacteria. The goal is to bring together leading investigators in the field for in depth discussions on the current global state of infections that drive anti-microbial resistance (AMR). Perspectives to be covered include strategies to exploit novel bacterial vulnerabilities, updates on cutting-edge approaches towards Gram-negative infections and the next steps in combating AMR. Learn more and register here.

Global Health in Our Own Backyard: Controversies, Initiatives, and Innovations for Our Local Underserved Populations

Date: October 4-5, 2019.

Location: Colket Building

Abstract submission has closed, but you can save the date to attend the 11th Annual CHOP Global Health Conference "Global Health in Our Own Backyard," This Philadelphia-based Conference will explore the intersections between domestic, local and international global pediatric health to better reach the underserved here in the United States. We will take inspiration from innovative programs in the U.S. and from around the world, and think critically about how to apply both South-North and national lessons to provide better, more equitable care in the United States. Registration will open shortly. For more information, click here.

Recent Publications

Quality improvement and crisis resource management in pediatric resuscitation

In the pediatric resuscitation environment, a multidisciplinary team must work together with patient outcomes dependent, in least in part, on the performance of that team. Quality improvement work in pediatric resuscitation can be challenging due to the constraints of the environment; collecting accurate and reliable data on team performance is necessary to inform and evaluate change. Video-based quality improvement programs can reliably measure team performance of both technical and nontechnical skills. Sage Myers, MD, MSCE provides a review of these programs, highlighting the need for all providers who could face a resuscitation event to evaluate the quality of their care delivery in these circumstances. 

Clinical utility of custom-designed NGS panel testing in pediatric tumors

Somatic genetic testing is rapidly become the standard of care in many adult and pediatric cancers, replacing earlier standard approaches such as single-gene or focused multigene testing. This study reports the laboratory validity and clinical utility of a large cohort of clinical next-generation sequencing (NGS) somatic sequencing results in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of a wide range of pediatric cancers. In nearly 80% of pediatric patients tested in this study, use of somatic NGS panel testing resulted in a significant impact on clinical care, suggesting this testing should be implemented as part of the routine diagnostic workup of newly diagnosed and relapsed pediatric cancer patients. 

Disparities in Survival and Health Outcomes in Childhood Leukemia

In this review of the current literature on pediatric leukemia disparities, health-related outcomes are considered with a focus on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities. Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and adolescence. A subset of patients will experience mortality and morbidity secondary to the treatments required to achieve and maintain remission. Several of the complications associated with chemotherapy are more prevalent among minority patients. However, individual demographic information such as race or socioeconomic status is inconsistently collected in clinical trials, which limits how minority patients can be served and treated. Data shows that implicit bias among oncologists leads to shorter patient interactions and less supportive and patient-centered communication. Focusing more on these disparities in patients will allow providers to eventually improve care across diverse patient populations and promote health equity. 

Routine cholesterol tests and subsequent change in BMI among overweight and obese children

The value of cholesterol testing for pediatric patients has been debated for decades. A guideline on cardiovascular risk management from AAP and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NLBI) recommended universal cholesterol testing in childhood for the first time in 2011, although in 2014, only 55% of pediatricians endorsed universal testing for children. This study examined whether cholesterol testing in the context of routine well care is associated with subsequent change in BMI among overweight and obese children, and found no association between testing and subsequent BMI trajectory. 

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