In this Issue:

• CHRI Priorities & Activities: Update from Executive Director Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD
• New Study Tests Use of Aquatic Treadmill to Improve Walking Motion in Children with Cerebral Palsy
• CHRI AI Interactive Seminar: Monday, August 4: Guy Trainin, PhD
• After Accelerated Implementation, NIH 2024 Public Access Policy is Now in Effect  
• Register for the CHRI Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium - Wednesday, Aug. 20
• Submit Your Research Poster Abstract for the Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium 
• Nominations Open for UNMC Research Awards
• Disseminating Discoveries
• Funding Opportunities
• Welcome New Members

David Kingston, PhD

Brian Knarr, PhD

Could the stabilizing effects of water help children who walk with an irregular gait to find a more stable stride? In May, Child Health Research Institute members at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) published results of a study evaluating an aquatic treadmill environment to improve walking biomechanics. The work was published in the journal Sensors.¹ The investigative team was led by Brian Knarr, PhD, and David Kingston, PhD, both assistant professors in the Department of Biomechanics at UNO.

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience neurological and musculoskeletal deficits that impede selective motor control. This often results in irregular walking patterns, which can be measured by three-dimensional clinical gait analysis. Rehabilitation programs for CP commonly use treadmill walking as a therapy to help children develop more efficient walking patterns. Aquatic treadmill walking, which employs partial submersion in waist- to chest-deep water, is one noteworthy innovation. Expected advantages of aquatic treadmill therapy include buoyancy to decrease gravity’s effects and hydrodynamic drag to limit irregular movements and boost sensory feedback.   

The study team aimed to improve the evidence base for rehabilitative use of aquatic treadmill walking in patients with CP. They enrolled eight children with CP and 15 typically developing children. Participants in each group underwent measurements on both aquatic treadmill and dry treadmill, at slow, normal and fast walking speeds, while wearing waterproof inertia measurement unit sensors to capture joint angles of the hips, knees and ankles. 

Among children with CP, the motion of hip, knee and ankle proved more regular and predictable on the aquatic treadmill than on the dry treadmill. On either type of treadmill, lower walking speeds also allowed more regular motion of all three joints. The aquatic treadmill environment also resulted in more stable motion among typically developing children, although their improvements were less pronounced and limited to the ankle and knee joints.

In the article’s conclusions, the authors note the need for a future longitudinal study to assess if children who practice walking on an aquatic treadmill as part of a structured rehabilitation program will be able to retain improved walking motion after therapy.

¹ Odanye O, Harrington J, Likens A, Kingston D, Knarr B. An Aquatic Treadmill Alters Lower Limb Walking Dynamics in Typically Developing Children and Children with Cerebral Palsy. Sensors. 2025; 25(10):3220. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25103220

CHRI AI Interactive Seminar

Monday, August 4: Guy Trainin, PhD

The August 4 CHRI AI Interactive Seminar Series will feature Guy Trainin, PhD, professor, Department of Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education, University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

He will present the topic; "AI is my Intern: 7 Breakthrough Methods that Supercharge My Educational Research." Email chri@unmc.edu if you require invite information.

"Forget the fear-mongering about AI replacing researchers, what if AI could be your most capable research assistant instead? In this practical talk, I'll share exactly how I've integrated AI into my educational research workflow, treating it like a talented intern who always needs their work checked (because AI hallucinates). You'll discover my strategic approach to using different AI models for different tasks—Claude for nuanced writing, ChatGPT for visual research, Gemini for Google integration—and see real examples of how I've transformed everything from dreaded administrative letters basic search to analysis and accessibility features. From "vibe coding" research apps to generating surprisingly sophisticated abstracts, I'll walk you through seven concrete applications that have revolutionized my productivity, while being honest about where AI still falls short (don't let it organize your reference list). This isn't about the future of research—it's about actionable strategies working right now."

After Accelerated Implementation, NIH 2024 Public Access Policy is Now in Effect 

As of July 1, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has fully implemented its 2024 Public Access Policy. This policy was originally slated to be implemented on Dec. 31 of this year, but in May, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, ordered it to be accelerated by six months. Any new, peer-reviewed article that reports data from NIH-funded research, if accepted for publication on or after July 1, must become available free to the public in PubMed Central. The article may be submitted in the form of either the Author Accepted Manuscript or the journal’s Final Published Article. NIH expects it to be publicly available no later than the official date of publication, as there is no longer an option for a 12-month embargo period.

Some journals have built PubMed Central submissions into their publication process, but in other cases, the authors need to make the submission. The principal investigator of the NIH-funded grant or cooperative agreement is responsible for ensuring PubMed Central submissions happens on time, by one path or the other. Noncompliance with the policy can affect future funding decisions. Detailed guidance is available online from NIH and from the McGoogan Health Sciences Library. 

Register for the 2025 Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium, happening Wednesday, Aug. 20, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m., at the Truhlsen Event Center on the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) campus. This annual event is co-hosted by the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) and the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

The symposium brings together experts in medicine, research, philanthropy and public policy to advance pediatric cancer research. This year’s theme focuses on hematological malignancies, including leukemia and lymphoma, and highlights current challenges and innovative research in this area. The afternoon will feature work across a broader spectrum of topics in pediatric cancer.

Featured Speakers and Highlights

Keynote Address

• Paul Liu, MD, PhD, senior investigator, National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH) will present his talk: “RUNX1 in leukemogenesis: Interaction with leukemia fusion gene CBFB-MYH11 and germline mutations in FPDMM.”

Featured Speaker

• James O. Armitage, MD, Joe Shapiro Professor, UNMC Division of Oncology & Hematology

Inaugural Memorial Lecture

• Holly Lindsay, MD, associate professor, Pediatrics-Heme/Onc and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, will deliver the first Nebraska Children’s Brain Tumor Collaborative Memorial Lecture. The lecture honors Jim and Esther Desrosiers and their work through Esther’s Miracles, a program supporting families impacted by childhood cancer.

• Flash Talks from PCRG Members

• Poster Session starts at 7 a.m. and is available and during lunch.  

Poster Session: Available before the first speaker at 8:00 a.m. and during lunch.

Program Updates and Panel Discussions

• Kate Hyde, PhD, associate professor, UNMC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and associate director for Shared Resources, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, and Kyle Hewitt, PhD, associate professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and director of the Single Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Core, will share updates from the Pediatric Cancer Research Group’s Hematological Malignancies Group.
• Amanda Eggen, PhD, director of Patient Engagement and Clinical Programs, RUNX1 Research Program, will discuss efforts to support individuals with RUNX1 familial platelet disorder, including advocacy and clinical advancements. A panel of local philanthropic leaders will join Dr. Eggen to discuss research funding and community support.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. To register and/or submit a poster, visit the symposium website.

Submit Your Research Poster Abstract for the Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium 

Poster Submission Information 

The 2025 Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium will feature a poster session that will be available from 7 to 8 a.m. and during breaks and the lunch hour. Below are the details for the poster submission. Registration is limited to the first 40 poster submissions.  

• We will accept scientific posters relevant to pediatric cancer research from all levels of investigators. Posters presented at previous meetings and conferences are welcome. 
• You must be registered to participate. Registration is free. All poster presenters should attend the symposium in person to interact with other attendees. 
• Please fill out this POSTER INTAKE FORM no later than Aug. 11 so we can have a spot reserved for you in the atrium. 
• The Pediatric Cancer Research Group is supporting printing costs if needed (no reprints please). The poster intake form allows us to collect the information needed to print your poster. Posters will be printed in gloss if we process the order on your behalf. If you need your poster printed before Aug. 20, please email apeyton@unmc.edu a week before the day you need your poster.
• NEW! This year we will also feature a copy of the posters on our event webpage for viewing before, during and after the symposium. You may send in a supplemental video or audio file of you presenting the poster. Please be mindful of file size and types. The preferred formats are mp4 for video and mp3 for audio sizes. 
• Email your poster files for printing and/or digital materials to chri@unmc.edu by end of day on Aug. 11. For larger files, you can share OneDrive links with jaclyn.ostronic@unmc.edu.  
• Any rush charges for printing will be the responsibility of the investigator. 
• Investigators will be responsible for approving the proof and picking up the final poster from the print shop unless they select on the form that a CHRI representative can pick it up on your behalf. 
• Posters should fit on a 48” x 36” board. Please use Brandwise Templates to meet branding requirements. Posters J and N will fit on the boards, and the 56” x 40” templates can be reduced. 
• All posters will need to be retrieved at the end of the symposium unless previous arrangements are made with CHRI administrative staff. 

CHRI Publications, June 2025

Academic children's hospital partnership with public health to address mass pediatric community tuberculosis exposure. Sato AI*, Becken B*, Chang AJ*, Delair SF*, Green Hines A*, Mowrer C*, Skar GL*, Zwiener J, Neemann K*. Antimicrobial Stewardship and Healthcare Epidemiology. 2025;5(1).

* Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Crossing the Blood–Brain Barrier: Innovations in Receptor- and Transporter-Mediated Transcytosis Strategies. Ding L*, Kshirsagar P, Agrawal P, Murry DJ*. Pharmaceutics. 2025;17(6).

* Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science

Differences in school preparedness for sudden cardiac arrest based on automated external defibrillator availability and staff training between schools of different enrollment size. Kimball R*, Jacobs IJ, Sorensen MW^†, Robinson JA^†. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology. 2025;77.

* Creighton University School of Medicine

^† Division of Pediatric Cardiology

Genetic counselors providing care to inpatients experience moral distress. Vermeire K, Wadman E, Steber H, Fishler K*. Journal of Genetic Counseling. 2025;34(3).

* MMI Department of Genetic Medicine

Inflammatory Markers and Invasive Bacterial Infection in Febrile Infants With Positive Urinalyses. Ruiz BA, Yankova LC, McDaniel CE, Kerns E*, Aronson PL. Pediatrics. 2025;155(6).

* Division of Health System Sciences

Predictors of Valve Failure Following Surgical Atrioventricular Valve Replacement with a Melody Valve in Infants and Children. Gilg S*, Delaney J*, Curzon C*, Danford D*, Ibrahimiye A, House AV, Hammel J. Pediatric Cardiology. 2025;46(5):1218-26.

* Division of Pediatric Cardiology

• Christiana Adu-Takyi, Senior Registrar Paediatric Cardiology, Red Cross Memorial Children’s Hospital
• Ling Ding, PhD, Research Instructor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, UNMC
• Angelina Frohberg, PhD Student, Munroe-Meyer Institute
• Abhineet Monti Sharma, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Neonatology and Pediatric Pulmonology, UNMC
• Anna Wilwerding, MD, Resident, Advanced Family Medicine Training Track, UNMC