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Updates from Research Administration
- Taking Inspiration from Cross-Disciplinary Research Collaborations
- Have a Question for the Research Navigators? New Contact Form Now Available
- NUCATS Grants Repository Now Available in Prism
Manne Research Institute Staff Additions and Career News
Science Showcase
- Lurie Children’s Hospital First in Illinois to Be Designated as a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
- Manne Research Enjoys Robust Presence at PAS Annual Meeting
- Jami Josefson and Daniel Robinson Awarded R01 Grant
- American Heart Association Recognizes Colin Evans as Finalist for the Kenneth M. Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Award in Thrombosis
News from the Manne Research Institute Pillars
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Maternal Health and Wellbeing in the United States and Across the Globe: FCHIP’s 2023 Mother’s Day Report
- Study Identifies Messages about Vaccinating Children Against COVID-19 That Resonate Best with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents
- Research Brief: Study Provides Insights into Better Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Infants
Manne Research Institute in the Media
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UPDATES FROM RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION | |
Office of the President and Chief Research Officer | | |
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Taking Inspiration from Cross-Disciplinary Research Collaborations
View the latest President's Message
Cross-disciplinary collaborations carry us on journeys across scientific and technological boundaries and are key to pediatric research breakthroughs. In the latest President's Message from Dr. Patrick Seed, read how a bioengineering collaboration between Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute's Arun Sharma, PhD, and Northwestern University's Samuel Stupp, PhD, is changing the future of inflammation treatments.
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Image Credit: Mark Seniw, Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University | |
Office of Research Development (ORD) | | |
Have a Question for the Research Navigators? New Contact Form Now Available | |
The Research Navigation team in the Office of Research Development is pleased to offer a new contact option for research faculty and staff. The Research Navigation Request Form is a quick and easy way to reach the team for help with research-related questions. Research Navigation is a great first stop for questions on research-related topics including finding resources, administrative processes, and study startup or transfer. The form is now available on the Research Navigation page of the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute website. The navigators look forward to hearing from you. | |
Updates From Research Partners | | |
NUCATS Grants Repository Now Available in Prism | |
NUCATS Grants Repository now lives in Prism, the new repository for the Feinberg School of Medicine. Please use the link below to access the community and be sure to update any saved bookmarks.
Use these steps to log into Prism:
- Visit https://prism.northwestern.edu
- Log into Prism using your Northwestern NetID and password
- Once logged into Prism, you can visit the community here
Questions about Prism? Email prism@northwestern.edu.
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Manne Research Institute Staff Additions and Career News | | |
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Norma A. Melgoza, MPA, FACHE
Director of Research Business Operations and Analytics
Norma Amparo Melgoza, MPA, FACHE, has been named Director, Research Business Operations and Analytics, for Manne Research Institute. Norma will be responsible for providing leadership, coordination, and oversight of business operations, projects, and initiatives for the research enterprise. She joined Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in 2021 as the Director of Operations for Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation (SCHORE) Center and the Community, Population Health, and Outcomes pillar. Norma has over 20 years of leadership and operational experience in research and academic medical centers, public health programs, and educational systems throughout Chicago. She is a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives and has a master's degree in Health Care Policy and Management from New York University and a bachelor's degree from Smith College. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
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Emily Golbeck, MBA
Interim Director, Community, Population Health, and Outcomes Pillar/SCHORE
Emily Golbeck, MBA, has been working at Lurie Children’s for eight years. She previously held clinical research positions in Neuro-Oncology and Epilepsy before moving to the Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation (SCHORE) Center. Since joining SCHORE, Emily has assisted in building the Smith Child Health Catalyst and has been a part of numerous health services and population health-focused studies and initiatives. Emily earned an MBA from National Louis University and a BS in Biological Sciences from DePaul University.
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Jessica Cowin
Sponsored Programs Administrator, Office of Sponsored Programs
Jessica Cowin recently joined the Office of Sponsored Programs as a Sponsored Programs Administrator. She has nearly four years of research grant management experience specifically in the congenital heart disease field. She previously worked as Manager of Research and Advocacy for the Children’s Heart Foundation where she oversaw all aspects of the research process, including committee and peer review scoring, principal investigator application submissions, follow-up grant research updates, and funding opportunities. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in business management and entrepreneurship with a minor in leadership and a master’s degree in health communication.
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Eric Goodwin
Associate Director, Research Communications, Office of Research Development
In his second year with Manne Research Institute and his ninth year with Lurie Children's, Eric Goodwin will guide internal and external communications strategies from within the Office of Research Development. He will continue to manage research communication activities, including newsletters, social media, internal communications requests, and the research institute website. His research communications team will work to identify science milestones and elevate the recognition of the work and the stature of the research institute. Eric previously supported communications efforts for the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children within SCHORE and the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities. A native of Maine, Eric has a degree in journalism from the University of Connecticut.
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Erin Lynch
Assistant Director, Research Education, Office of Research Development
A Certified Clinical Research Professional, Erin Lynch will lead a team dedicated to the design, development, and execution of training and education for our research community. Her research education team will also focus on the alignment of resources with current and new initiatives such as onboarding, specific trainings, tools, and resources for the Basic and Preclinical Science, Clinical and Community Trials, and Community, Population Health, and Outcomes pillars. Erin has worked for Lurie Children’s for more than 13 years, starting her research career working on clinical trials and then transitioning to the Research Compliance Coordinator role with the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance.
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Lurie Children’s Hospital First in Illinois to Be Designated as a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) | | |
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Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is the first in Illinois to receive designation as a NORD Rare Disease Center of Excellence, becoming one of 40 U.S. academic medical centers selected to be a part of the first-of-it-kind national network of U.S. medical institutions dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and researching all rare diseases. The network is led by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and is designed to foster knowledge sharing between rare disease experts across the country to help meet the unmet needs of more than 25 million Americans living with a rare disease. | |
Unlike other more common serious diseases like cancer and heart disease, people living with rare diseases face many challenges in finding a diagnosis and accessing quality clinical care. Because patient numbers battling a specific rare disease are so small (fewer than 200,000), physician expertise and research and development funds are sorely lacking. As a result, 95 percent of the more than 7,000 different rare diseases are without treatments. | |
“Lurie Children’s is excited to join the NORD network in our pursuit to optimize clinical outcomes and provide comprehensive lifelong care to patients with rare diseases through our partnership with Northwestern Medicine,” said Carlos Prada, MD, (pictured) Division Head of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Lurie Children’s and Director of the NORD Rare Diseases Center of Excellence. “We know it takes more than medicine to care for children with rare diseases. With compassion and understanding, we help patients access advanced diagnostics and multidisciplinary expertise, as well as offer opportunities to receive the most cutting-edge treatments through participation in clinical trials. We have one of the largest clinical trial units in the country for genetic and rare diseases.”
Read more here.
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Manne Research Enjoys Robust Presence at PAS Annual Meeting | |
Thank you to our faculty, staff, affiliates, and collaborators who represented Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 27–May 1. Congratulations to Matthew Davis, MD, MAPP, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and Jennifer Hoffmann, MD, Attending Physician of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Davis received the Dr. Douglas K. Richardson Award from the Society for Pediatric Research. The award honors the lifetime achievement of an investigator who has made substantive contributions in child health. Dr. Hoffmann won Best Poster in HSR by Early Career Faculty for a study about mental health care following firearm injury. For additional highlights of Manne Research Institute presentations, posters, and other activities, read the recent coverage on the research institute’s Twitter feed. The online, on-demand access to the PAS sessions is available for registrants. | |
Dr. Jennifer Hoffmann presenting a poster at PAS 2023 | |
Jami Josefson and Daniel Robinson Awarded R01 Grant | |
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The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health recently awarded an R01 grant to Jami Josefson, MD, Attending Physician, Pediatric Endocrinology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Daniel Robinson, MD, Attending Physician, Neonatology, and Founders’ Board Neonatology Young Research Scholar at Lurie Children’s.
The research grant will fund the study, “The GROWTH Study, Glycemia Range and Offspring Weight and Adiposity in Response to Human Milk.” The GROWTH Study is in response to the NIH mission to expand understanding of human milk composition and functional implications on children at risk of adverse metabolic health. This study will recruit pregnant individuals who are participants in the GO MOMS Study at four participating sites for a longitudinal study of human milk composition and maternal diet and impact on infant growth. The primary aim is to study the associations between maternal glycemia in pregnancy across the range of normal to gestational diabetes mellitus on human milk fatty acids. The second aim is to study human milk fatty acids on infant adiposity and growth. The third aim will conduct gene expression in mammary epithelial cells shed in expressed human milk and determine mechanisms by which HM lipids from mothers across the range of glycemia in pregnancy alter human infant adipocyte development.
Dr. Josefson and Dr. Robinson are part of a multi-principal investigator team that also includes Brigid Gregg, MD, at the University of Michigan. The award period is April 2023–January 2027.
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American Heart Association Recognizes Colin Evans as Finalist for the Kenneth M. Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Award in Thrombosis | |
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Colin Evans, PhD, Research Assistant Professor at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Kenneth M. Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Award in Thrombosis.
The award, which is given by the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology of the American Heart Association, recognizes outstanding endeavors by new investigators in fundamental and applied research in thrombosis, including the mechanism, detection, treatment, and prevention of thrombotic disorders. For this shortlisting, the selection committee considered Dr. Evans’s track record in thrombosis research, CV, and a research paper and abstract submitted as part of the application. As a finalist, he will present his research entitled “Lung Thrombosis Upregulated Endothelial Pla2g2d to Inhibit Inflammatory Lung Injury” at the American Heart Association Vascular Discovery Conference this month. The work under consideration was funded by his American Heart Association Career Development Award.
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NEWS FROM THE RESEARCH PILLARS | |
Maternal Health and Wellbeing in the United States and Across the Globe: FCHIP’s 2023 Mother’s Day Report | |
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As of May 11, three days before Mother’s Day 2023, the public health emergency of COVID-19 will have ended. As Chicago, the United States, and the world experience low rates of illness and transmission, conversations have moved from masking to situational masking, with both local and federal transition plans to help guide parents.
This year, FCHIP focuses on the health status of mothers in the United States and across the globe. This 2023 report looks at employment, reproductive health, equity, and efforts to improve wellbeing and outcomes in light of the transition to a post-COVID-19 world and what practical next steps to take to support mothers around the world.
Read more here.
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Study Identifies Messages about Vaccinating Children Against COVID-19 That Resonate Best with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents | |
A study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that parents with children who were not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 were most likely to vaccinate their child after reading the following hypothetical scenario:
You hear from other parents you trust that they have vaccinated their children against COVID-19. Some of them say that they weren’t sure at first about whether the vaccine is safe for kids. But they ended up deciding that it was the best way to fight COVID-19, and the vaccination went fine. They want to keep their kids protected.
This “trusted parents” message was particularly effective among unvaccinated parents and Black parents, who tend to be the most hesitant to vaccinate their children.
In another hypothetical scenario, parents read that their child’s doctor or nurse delivered a different message that emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and thoroughly tested in children, and after reading this message parents also responded with significantly higher intentions to vaccinate their child.
Strikingly, all racial and ethnic differences in intentions to vaccine their children disappeared when parents received either the “trusted parents” or the “safe and tested” messages. Findings suggest that these two messages were especially encouraging to unvaccinated parents and Black parents.
The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.
View full details here.
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Research Brief: Study Provides Insights into Better Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Infants | |
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Atopic dermatitis is a common problem in children under 2 years of age. Pediatric management guidelines have been published, but are not specific to children in this age group. Challenges in managing atopic dermatitis include caregiver under-education on treatments, inconsistent adherence to treatment schedules by caregivers, and concerns about topical corticosteroid side effects. Addressing these challenges in improving treatment effectiveness of atopic dermatitis in infants has benefits; previous research has shown that treating dry skin early and aggressively may prevent atopic dermatitis and that treating atopic dermatitis may limit the development of food allergy. A recent study published in Clinical Pediatrics provides a better understanding of how atopic dermatitis in children under 2 years is managed by primary care pediatricians and bridges the gap between the existing resources and clinical practice.
Key Takeaways
- The researchers conducted five focus groups with primary care providers from the Pediatric Practice Research Group at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. A key finding that they noted is that a lack of caregiver compliance and adherence to primary care pediatricians recommendations, including following up if treatment is unsuccessful, was unanimously reported by providers.
- Primary care providers suggested developing electronic medical record aids to help improve provider documentation and management of atopic dermatitis. These include creating atopic dermatitis documentation templates and order sets to guide providers, and having educational materials for both caregivers and providers built into the electronic medical record, report the study’s authors.
- In three of the five focus groups, medical providers discussed topical corticosteroid alternatives and complementary therapies such as bleach baths, moisturization, and calcineurin inhibitors, and reported that their comfort levels varies in discussing these therapies with caregivers.
The findings from this qualitative study emphasize the importance of both provider and caregiver education in the management of atopic dermatitis in children under 2 years. This could include continuing medical education activities about atopic dermatitis for medical providers and multimedia materials that detail dry skin care and address misconceptions about side effects of treatments for caregivers, explains Adolfo J. Ariza, MD, Director of the Pediatric Practice Research Group at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and one of the study’s authors.
Pediatric research at Lurie Children’s is conducted through Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute.
Article Citation
Hamideh N, Venkatesh P, Zhao S, Ariza AJ, Bolanos L, Necheles J, Fishbein AB. Perceptions on Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Children Under 2 Years by Community Pediatricians: A Focus Group Study. Clinical Pediatrics. 2023 Feb. 16 (Epub ahead of print). doi: 10.1177/00099228231154132.
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MANNE RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN THE MEDIA | | | | |
