# Child Health Research Center

> **NIH NIH K12** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $459,000

## Abstract

Project Summary Abstract
 This renewal application (RFA-HD-18-011) is for support of the Child Health Research Center
(CHRC) at Washington University School of Medicine. Pediatric physician-scientists play a crucial
role in advancing knowledge that improves child health. To meet the ongoing national need to
replenish the pediatric physician-scientist pipeline at the junior faculty level, our program supports a
mentored career development pathway for 3 Scholars per year for 2-3 years by leveraging a wealth of
biomedical resources within the Washington University School of Medicine and the Medical Center
campus. As we have done for the past 22 years, the long-term objective of our Center is to develop
Scholars that focus their research efforts on Pediatric disease-oriented biology by applying recent
advances in the basic sciences, such as developmental biology, cell biology, immunology,
genetics/genomics, and systems biology. The specific aims of this proposal include: 1) protected
mentored research experiences with well-established investigators encompassing a wide range of
disciplines within the Washington University School of Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics, 2)
obligatory educational programs in laboratory management, scientific rigor, statistics, grantsmanship
and responsible conduct of research, 3) individualized specific coursework based on the Scholars’
areas of investigation (e.g., bioinformatics, live-cell imaging), 4) continuous feedback to the Scholars,
mentors and CHRC leadership, and 5) foster the development of Scholars who are women and
underrepresented minorities. The program, now twenty-two years old, has a stellar track record by
exceeding national benchmarks (”K12 to K08/23” conversion rate of 63% and an outstanding “K to R
conversion” rate of 59%; national average <40%, respectively), and will ultimately close the
knowledge gap between basic scientists and pediatric clinicians. Gary A. Silverman, M.D., Ph.D. will
serve as Program Director, and David Hunstad, M.D. will serve as Training Director. The CHRC and
its Scholars will continue to utilize our institutionally-funded state-of-art core facilities that provide, for
example, whole genome/exome DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, cryo-EM imaging, genome editing
and model animal development, to facilitate the study of Pediatric disease states. The long-term goals
of the CHRC are being realized as its Scholars contribute to our understanding of human
developmental diseases for decades to come, while evolving into the next generation of scientific
leaders, role models and mentors for subsequent generations of Pediatric Scholars.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9827574
- **Project number:** 5K12HD076224-08
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** GARY ARTHUR SILVERMAN
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $459,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-03-01 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9827574

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9827574, Child Health Research Center (5K12HD076224-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9827574. Licensed CC0.

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