Scientific Priorities

Our goal is to improve the health and wellness of children through a combination of basic, clinical and translational studies. Research is performed at the lab bench, in the clinic and in the community. And because of where we are located – Los Angeles, CA – the second largest city in the United States, with one of the largest and most diverse populations of children in the world, our community spans the globe.

Currently, our research program is built around seven thematic areas. These areas of research focus were created based on an interdisciplinary model. As we try to unravel complicated conditions like cancer, obesity and autism, we have learned that they are multifactorial. These conditions cannot be tracked back to one single gene or a single bacterium. We are finding that often there is a combination of genetics, physiology and environment and that to better understand these conditions we must approach them in an interdisciplinary way. 

Our diverse program allows us to bring together multidisciplinary teams to address issues of child health and disease susceptibility. The work at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles centers around these major scientific priorities:

Cancer

The Basic and Translational Research Program of the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases integrates laboratory and clinical expertise in the search for answers for children with cancer and blood diseases. Read more.

Community and Behavioral Health, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

This Program works to promote the health and well-being of children, adolescents and families. In an urban, densely populated area such as Los Angeles, there are numerous opportunities to reduce health disparities and address barriers to healthy living for children and adolescents. Read more.

Developmental Neuroscience

By focusing on key developmental critical periods and incorporating insight gained from clinical observation, the scientists of the Developmental Neuroscience Program work to understand the relationship between abnormal brain development and disease. The long-term goal of the Program is to exploit the inherent plasticity of the neonatal central nervous system to rescue normal function of affected brain circuitry and restore the full range of learning abilities, personality, and physiology that every child deserves. Read more.

Diabetes and Obesity

Investigators in this program work to advance research into the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes with the intent of impacting the predicted global health crisis. Read more.

Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine

This program seeks to discover the basic mechanisms of human organ development, repair and regeneration with a focus on organogenesis, injury repair, tissue regeneration and tissue engineering. Read more.

Human Physiology and Imaging

The focus of this Program is to advance the use of imaging technology in the study of pediatric diseases in the laboratory and in clinical practice. Read more.

Immunology, Infectious Disease and Pathogens

The Program is comprised of a group of researchers engaged in basic, translational and clinical investigations on the pathogenesis, immunology and clinical diagnosis and management of microbial pathogens in pediatrics. Read more.