Children’s Optimal Therapeutics Program
The Children’s Optimal Therapeutics Program was established to
provide a programmatic structure for clinical investigators at the Children’s
Hospital of Western Ontario and to enhance the ability of the CHRI to
develop translational research.
CHRI has always had a body of investigators with an interest in research
at the bedside, and the creation of this program builds on the strength
in Clinical Pharmacology and Optimal Therapeutics at the Children’s
Hospital of Western Ontario and The University of Western Ontario.
Mission
To develop and evaluate methods to prevent and treat common and important
problems among infants, children and adolescents.
Relevance of the Program
The ability to bridge discoveries from the bench to the bedside and to
the broader community is one of the hallmarks of successful translational
science, particularly in the context of the development and evaluation
of novel therapies for infants and children. This is an important goal
for a child health research institute and thus this program is an important
part of research enterprises in the area of child health.
It is the largest program within CHRI with four scientists and 31 associate scientists. Their research trials are designed to answer specific questions about children’s diseases, such as etiology, diagnosis, prevention, outcome and treatment. A small sample of current research includes pharminetics of drug therapies in pregnancy and breastfeeding, paediatric cancers, autism and non-invasive imagery, and respiratory ailments in premature infants.
The team is already making a difference. Read about how Dr. Rieder and his team are making medicine safe for children through their clinical studies.
Opportunities Created
The construction of the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital
of Western Ontario along with the acceptance of the Strategic Plan of
the Children’s Hospital by the London Health Sciences Centre Board
of Directors ensures the hospital’s strong commitment to tertiary
level child health care.
The alternate funding plan for the Department of Paediatrics and the recruitment of new child health care specialists to the Department and Children’s Hospital provide stability to the members of the program.
CHRI leaders are participating in the functional planning of the new hospital to provide strong advocacy for research space.
The Program’s future direction:
1. Focus on Therapeutics
2. Develop a program of excellence in Therapeutics in Children
3. Identify the areas of current research activity:
paediatric critical care
neonatal-perinatal medicine
paediatric emergency medicine
paediatric neurology and neuro-intensive care
paediatric clinical pharmacology
4. Enhance academic development
Develop a seminar series that will be a key factor in developing program
identity and fostering collaboration.
5. Encourage interdisciplinary research particularly with programs that share
similar research methodologies (Child
Health and Well-Being Program), those which share common goals (Developmental
Biology, Fetal and Newborn Health)
and those that would like to develop a more translational aspect of their
research programs (Developmental Biology
and Molecular Genetics Program).
Our Team
Chair:
Dr. Michael Rieder
Scientists:
Dr. Jack Bend
Dr. Guido Filler
Dr. Dave Freeman
Dr. Richard Kim
Mr. David Knoppert
Dr. Gideon Koren
Dr. Ute Schwarz
Associate Scientists:
Dr. Gary Joubert
Dr. Alk Kornecki
Dr. Rod Lim
Dr. Tim Lynch
Dr. Narayan Prasad
Dr. Ralf Rauch
Dr. Ajay Sharma
