Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute

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See the five CHOP Research science stories that engaged you – our community of patient families, colleagues & collaborators – the most this year in our annual end-of-year Cornerstone roundup: ms.spr.ly/63322tar6y

#ICYMI: Registration is now open for Cores Day on Thursday, September 11th!🥳🎉 @pennmedicine.bsky.social @chopresearch.bsky.social @PennVet ‪@wistar.org
-Free registration➡️ tinyurl.com/3bu5pjfd
-Event website➡️ tinyurl.com/yc83cmj4

Mark DeJesse

Mark DeJesse, Senior Clinical Research Financial Analyst at CHOP, has participated as a Philly #Mummer since he was 5! As South Philly Vikings NYB treasurer, DeJesse continues a family legacy. Read our latest #CHOPOffCampus: ms.spr.ly/63320s560w

Cardiac Grants Propel Cutting-Edge Research to Transform Outcomes for Children with Severe Heart Conditions The Cardiac Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is leading pioneering research with grants aimed at improving outcomes for children with severe cardiac conditions. These efforts represent a comprehensive approach to advancing cardiac care from prenatal stages through childhood, potentially transforming treatment paradigms.

Our Cardiac Center is leading research to transform care for children with the most complex heart conditions.

With newly awarded grants from Additional Ventures' Single Ventricle Research Fund, CHOP teams are advancing science in key areas like prenatal therapies and AI-powered diagnostics.

The impact of prematurity on pediatric asthma morbidity and indices with environmental pollution and genetic susceptibility - Communications Medicine Kelchtermans et al. analyze interactions between prematurity, PM2.5 exposure and genetic susceptibility on asthma exacerbations in children. They find that combined effects produce outsized increases in exacerbation risk, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.

🚨 NEW RESEARCH! ⚕️ 🩺

Kelchtermans et al. explore how being born early, air pollution, and genetic factors work together to increase asthma attacks in children.

https://bit.ly/47DKjIg

@chopresearch.bsky.social

#PediatricHealth #AsthmaResearch

New research out in @Structure_CP provides a structure-guided approach to predict MHC-I restriction of T cell receptors for public antigens ft. @sagargupta.bsky.social (@pennmedicine.bsky.social) & @SgourakisLab (@BB_UPenn) @chopresearch.bsky.social www.cell.com/structure/fu...

Meeting

In a guest blog, the Center for Injury Research & Prevention's Associate Director Dr. Rachel Myers writes about 2 new studies on the value + long-term effectiveness of the CHOP Violence Intervention Program, a bridge from the hospital to the community: ms.spr.ly/63321spgQT

We're inspired by the student trainees in the Center for Autism Research's STAR program, who signed off from their summers at @childrensphila.bsky.social by proposing unique potential research projects on autism spectrum disorder! Learn more about STAR: www.research.chop.edu/services/stu...

#ICYMI: Registration is now open for Cores Day on Thursday, September 11th!🥳🎉 @pennmedicine.bsky.social @chopresearch.bsky.social @PennVet @wistar.org
-Free registration➡️ tinyurl.com/3bu5pjfd
-Event website➡️ tinyurl.com/yc83cmj4

What Role Does the Cytokine TNFα Play in Healing Anemia of Inflammation?

In a new Snapshot Science, learn about CHOP research published in the journal Blood that describes the recovery role of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) for anemia of inflammation. ms.spr.ly/63329sJxiU

Doctor adminsters vaccine to child.

In the journal Pediatrics, CHOP & Penn researchers identify & describe the potential factors that may contribute to eligible infants receiving, or not receiving, nirsevimab, a vaccine to prevent #RSV. ms.spr.ly/63325syk0W

Researchers are evaluating which types of cartilage cells could generate more robust airway spacers when combined with MEND technology.

Researcher in CHOP's Bioengineering & Biomaterials Lab are evaluating different cartilage cell types to improve the current standard of care for #laryngotracheal reconstruction. Learn more: ms.spr.ly/63325sEDYl

Susan Furth, MD, PhD

👏 Congrats to CHOP's Executive Vice President & CSO Dr. Susan Furth on receiving the 2025 Corporate Leadership Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal! Learn more about Dr. Furth: ms.spr.ly/63323sEDcl

Ray Goodridge, CTFM

In our latest #CHOPOffCampus blog, Ray Goodridge, Director of Clinical Trials Financial Management at CHOP Research, shares the lore behind his passion for race cars and need for speed: ms.spr.ly/63325sEDi5

REU Interns

😎 Meet the 2025 cohort of the Injury Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, a 10-week undergrad internship ft. unique hands-on research experience & mentoring: http://ms.spr.ly/63326S7DGk

Researchers discover impact of genetic ancestry on tumor genomics in T-ALL

Researchers at CHOP and St. Jude Research find genetic ancestry influences how gene mutations impact cancer prognosis in patients with T-ALL. The study is the first to explore the impact of genetic ancestry on tumor genomics in T-ALL.

Learn more: http://ms.spr.ly/63321SL0lN.

Modeling the HLH immune synapse ft. @AFKamenetskii, Hannah Klinghoffer, @varghese_jemy, @DangitVinh, Jeremy Morrissette, @CarolineDiorio, @canna_lab (@chopresearch.bsky.social), @JoeFraietta (@PennMicro) & @JanKarlBurkhar1 (@PennNSG) ashpublications.org/blood/articl...

Dr. Valentina Graci

In our latest #OffCampus feature, Dr. Valentina Graci, leader of the Sled Lab for Automotive Safety and Rehabilitation Biomechanic, shares how she resets after life in the lab by volunteering as a scuba diver at a local aquarium. Read the full story now: http://ms.spr.ly/63327SxJKX

Dr. Audrey Odom John

With funding from the Gates Foundation, CHOP's Infectious Diseases Chief Dr. Audrey Odom John + team are advancing the development of a 'malaria breathalyzer' to detect the malaria-causing parasite in asymptomatic patients & reduce transmission. Learn more: http://ms.spr.ly/63325SxyBS

AAV gene therapy

In a new Cornerstone blog, read about studies from CHOP's Dr. Bev Davidson & team highlighting how several AAV capsid variants could improve the precision of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders: http://ms.spr.ly/63328SWf56

.@kiranmusunuru.bsky.social (@penngenetics.bsky.social/ @PennCardiology), @ahrensnicklas.bsky.social (@chopresearch.bsky.social) & colleagues raced against time to deliver a life-saving, 1st-ever personalized gene editing therapy for a 9-month-old patient with CPS1 deficiency tinyurl.com/3ncxd5ex

CHOP researchers are partnering with the University of Pittsburgh to enhance the identification and management of #Depression & suicide risk in #Adolescents in primary care. Learn more: www.research.chop.edu/cornerstone-...

#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

Photo of CRC RE@CH Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2025 winners of our Research Excellence at CHOP (RE@CH) Award: Katelynn Stanley (Genetics), Jamillah Millner (Injury Research), & Lauren Mitteer (Endo) for their valuable contributions as clinical research staff! http://ms.spr.ly/63326SiLnK

Children often first encounter challenging interpersonal situations like #bullying at school. At
@childrensphila.bsky.social , Dr. Tracy Waasdorp tests a #virtualreality program to help students & teachers improve social emotional learning: www.research.chop.edu/cornerstone-...

At the #PreschoolAge, children begin to make choices but also potentially display challenging behaviors. Our Where Discovery Leads series highlights a #PositiveParenting program led by @childrensphila.bsky.social PolicyLab's Dr. Joanne Wood about this stage: www.research.chop.edu/cornerstone-...

For #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we're launching a story series focused on #BehavioralHealth research across the lifespan.

Starting with #infancy, learn about Dr. Wanjikũ F.M. Njoroge's work studying the pandemic's effect on children + caregivers: www.research.chop.edu/cornerstone-...

A snapshot captures CHOP researchers’ pioneering work charting neuroblastoma’s cellular landscape.

To better understand why some #Neuroblastoma treatments fail, CHOP's Dr. Kai Tan + team created a first-of-its-kind longitudinal cell atlas. This multidimensional dataset illustrates how tumor microenvironments tumors evolved after chemotherapy: http://ms.spr.ly/63326SZC0G

Our patient Edie

Our patient Edie and her mom, Emily

A new study from our Cancer Center features our patient Edie & her mom, Emily, who both have hereditary neuroblastoma. The findings demonstrate that ALK inhibition therapy is effective in managing the disease, which could help establish a new standard of care.

More: http://ms.spr.ly/63326Sk9pu.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia exhibit booth at #ASGCT2025

Hello from #ASGCT2025! Visit our team at booth 1315 in the Exhibit Hall.

CHOP & @pennmedicine.bsky.social have delivered the first-ever personalized gene editing therapy for a patient with CPS1 deficiency, marking a major milestone in the application of CRISPR-based treatments.

Learn more about KJ & the future of personalized medicine: www.chop.edu/news/worlds-....