Featured Research

Seattle Children’s neuroscience researchers mapped and described the very earliest emergence of neurons in the developing human cerebellum.

Seattle Children’s Research Institute immunology findings showcased at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s 2025 meeting.

Nearly 300 visitors from across the nation attend Seattle Children’s inaugural Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Research Summit.

The 2025 John Howland Award recognizes the distinguished pediatrician’s significant contributions to advancing child health and the profession of pediatrics.

Seattle Children’s immunology research gives new mechanistic insight into genetic risk for autoimmunity, leading to altered T cell function and Type 1 diabetes.

Seattle Children’s neuroscience researchers believe better understanding of Leigh syndrome swallow-breathing discoordination will pave the way for treatments.

New guidelines for newborn cystic fibrosis have the potential to diagnose cystic fibrosis in newborns earlier and in a wider range of communities, leading to better outcomes.

Seattle Children’s Dr. Rhea Coler aids lab efforts of pioneering human challenge model to test new TB vaccine, part of IMPAc-TB program.

Immunology researchers at Seattle Children’s discovered how immune cells position pathogen products inside cells to trigger the right antibody response.

Seattle Children’s immunology researchers see promise in cell therapy against plasma cells causing autoimmune disorders and transplant rejection.

Breakthrough success from Seattle Children’s neuroscientist Franck Kalume delivers corrective gene to brain cells in Dravet syndrome model.

Invent at Seattle Children’s postdoctoral training gets therapeutics from bench to bedside through mentorship, biotech know-how and financial support.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis publishes new findings into teen smartphone use, shedding light on what teens are doing on their phones during school hours.

Encouraging success from Seattle Children’s cancer doctor and researcher Nick Vitanza dosing CAR T cell therapy directly to brain for patients with DIPG.

Findings from Seattle Children’s immunology experts could lead to cell-engineering strategies to prevent drug or therapy rejection.

Seattle Children’s cancer doctor and researcher Rachel Rau sees survival improvement for common childhood leukemia with immunotherapy addition.

Scientists and physician-researchers from Seattle Children’s Research Institute contributed to 16 scientific abstracts being presented at the American Society of Hematology 2024 Annual Meeting.

Seattle Children’s Dr. Shaun Jackson and team created a detailed map of cell interaction in the kidneys of children with lupus, offering better understanding of the disease and the potential for personalized treatments.

As a leader of the PedAL Initiative, Seattle Children’s cancer doctor and researcher Todd Cooper sees progress against high-risk leukemia in children.

Findings from Seattle Children’s immunology experts may reveal drivers of potentially lethal transplant complication and aid earlier detection.

The Lupus Research Alliance funding promotes underrepresented groups in science and research into new therapeutic targets for lupus.

The Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care named 2024 Cornerstone Award winner by ASBH.

Seattle Children’s hematologist-oncologist and researcher Dr. Jay Sarthy aims to reduce chemotherapy’s toxic effects without reducing its effectiveness.

Study led by Dr. Anthony L. Bui uncovers suicide risk disparities among Asian American youth and young adults.

Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Washington State University Health Sciences aim to tackle pediatric issues with the strengths of both institutions.

Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Center for Respiratory Biology and Therapeutics aims to improve treatments for pediatric respiratory conditions.

Seattle Children’s Dr. Lisa Frenkel and colleagues found the timing of HIV antiretroviral therapy affects the size of the virus reservoir and HIV site integration.

Seattle Children’s Dr. Mignon Loh and colleagues identified genetic variations influencing relapse risk in children with standard risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, paving the way for more tailored treatments.

Known problematic genes and new candidates detected in sudden unexpected infant death by Seattle Children’s researchers using whole genome sequencing.

Dr. Damon Page at Seattle Children’s pursues precision medicine for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.

Research from Dr. Christian Roth and colleagues testing the medication setmelanotide showed significant reductions in weight and hunger in patients with hypothalamic obesity.

Seattle Children’s researchers Seattle STRIDE study to learn how and why inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) begins in children, with goal of targeted therapies.

Seattle Children’s brain researchers share progress on understanding the process responsible for normal swallowing.

Seattle Children’s researchers share progress on promising cell and gene therapies to treat MS, HIV, hemophilia and autoimmunity at ASGCT meeting.

Using genetic engineering, Dr. Stefan Kappe and colleagues in the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research developed a novel vaccine with unprecedented potential to eliminate malaria.

A screening platform using zebrafish reveals an antibiotic combination protects against hearing injury caused by medications.

Discover Olive Ray, the fifth grader with an indomitable spirit. Despite facing brain tumors, she spreads joy, navigates clinical trials, and embraces life with sass and sparkle.

Drs. Scott Watson and Jerry Zimmerman contribute to national pediatric guidelines to better identify and treat patients diagnosed with pediatric sepsis.

Scientists in Seattle Children’s Norcliffe Foundation Center for Integrative Brain Research produced a first-ever population-level analysis of neural activity underlying breathing.

One of 14 invited to speak at the prestigious event, Dankwa shared insights into why the blood-brain barrier fails in cerebral malaria.

Malaria expert Alexis Kaushansky and an international team successfully identified malaria protein inhibitors, an approach for relapsing malaria prevention.

With private and public funding, Dr. Rhea Coler and team aim to translate their lab work into much-needed TB vaccines and therapies.

Seattle Children’s Emergency Department Research group contributes emergency care research to national network.

Microbiologist Tanya Parish and team work to discover new therapies as part of the TB Drug Accelerator consortium.

The immunology researcher and her team aim to improve adoptive cell therapy to eliminate cancer tumors.

Using new gene-editing techniques, Dr. David Rawlings and his lab team have created a novel cell therapy to potentially transform the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Researchers at the Center for Childhood Health, Behavior and Development awarded funding to support environmental exposures study in Washington.

It’s been 12 years, but Brandy Epling still chokes up at the traumatic memory of her firstborn’s birth.

Key findings from the Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies highlighted at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s Annual Meeting from May 16 to 20 in Los Angeles.

Congratulations to Dr. James Bennett for his $12.5 million, five-year National Institutes of Health award supporting research in how the human genome changes within individuals over their lifetimes.

Seattle Children’s TB researchers and colleagues uncovered complex microbial protein activity, potentially pointing to new drug targets.

An M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust grant awarded to Drs. Rhea Coler and Shaun Jackson facilitates cell analyzer acquisition for the research institute’s Integrated Flow Cytometry Core.

Pediatric rheumatologist and nephrologist Dr. Shaun Jackson will co-lead kidney imaging studies with a multidisciplinary team studying pediatric lupus nephritis.

Seattle Children’s researchers and colleagues have identified a new driver of autoimmunity that may be relevant to many diseases, including lupus.

Seattle Children’s researchers revealed novel insights about PiCo, a brainstem region that aids the coordination of swallowing and breathing.

Seattle Children’s malaria researchers and colleagues found the putative amino acid transporter, pfaat1, contributes to chloroquine resistance.

Seattle Children’s researchers and colleagues discovered why kids with allergic asthma fare better against COVID-19.

Research findings prioritizing health equity at Seattle Children’s have recently been published in JAMA. Dr. Caitlin McGrath and other Seattle Children’s collaborators have detected higher rates of CLABSI in patients who identify as Black and those who use a language other than English for medical care.

Seattle Children’s researchers and colleagues uncovered an inhibitor for mast cells and a potential drug target.

The oncologist and researcher received a five-year, $729,000 award from the American Cancer Society.

Arp. 13, 2023 – The Team Science Award will enable Dr. Ketterl and colleagues to pursue less toxic therapeutic approaches for germ cell cancers.

Seattle Children’s Dr. Todd Cooper will soon lead the Children’s Oncology Group Myeloid Committee.

The pediatric oncologist received a five-year, renewable Research Specialist Award (R50) — a new award mechanism for clinical researchers — to further her work on children’s cancer trials.

Jan. 30, 2023 - Researchers in the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research and colleagues found copper IUDs affect vaginal health and inflammatory response.

Research conducted with the Center for Clinical and Translational Research finds new data confirming COVID-19 vaccine safe for routine immunization for youngest children.

Feb. 9, 2023 - Dr. Christoph Grundner and Center for Global Infectious Disease Research colleagues discovered how nutrients cross the outer wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Feb. 9, 2023 – Dr. Heather Gustafson’s NCI MERIT funding will support inflammatory status research in pediatric cancer patients.

Dec. 13, 2022 - Dr. Stefan Kappe and colleagues in the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research contributed to a new malaria vaccine manufacturing platform with biotech Sanaria.

Seattle Children’s cancer and blood disorder research will be well represented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 64th annual meeting from Dec. 10 to 13 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The novel strategy for host-based therapeutics could lead to new classes of antiviral agents with high specificities and low toxicity.

Researchers in the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research and colleagues gained new insights into the immunological properties of human milk.

Dr. Michael Portman and an international research team tested the safety and effectiveness of an anti-clotting pill in children.

Dr. Lisa Frenkel and colleagues in the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research found a common lab reagent can cause false positive COVID tests.

Dr. Brock Grill and his lab members in the Center for Integrative Brain Research collaborated with an international research team to identify the molecular genetic cause of a new neurodevelopmental disorder.

Nature Communications published findings by Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Drs. Richard James and David Rawlings about long-lived engineered B cells to deliver protein therapies.

In two papers published in Nature, Dr. Kathleen Millen and her team are the first to identify the cells that give rise to the most aggressive forms of medulloblastoma.

Science Translational Medicine published new insights by Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Dr. David Rawlings and Benaroya Research Institute’s Dr. Jane Buckner into promising T-cell therapy to treat type 1 diabetes.

The Spatial Biology Access Program is designed to promote awareness of spatial biology at Seattle Children’s as well as the support and services provided by the Spatial Biology CoLab by funding new projects using these services.

Changes in the ANKLE2 gene cause a unique syndrome where children have microcephaly (small brain size) apparent either at birth or shortly after birth, with a broad range of other structural brain abnormalities.

Science Translational Medicine published new findings by Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Drs. Stefan Kappe and Ashley Vaughan and University of Washington’s Dr. Sean Murphy showing a genetically engineered parasite vaccine provides protection from controlled human malaria infection.

In their paper published in PNAS, Alyssa Huff and Nino Ramirez are the first to discover the neural pathways involved in swallow-breathing coordination.

Nature Neuroscience published new insights by Seattle Children’s Dr. Brock Grill and UF Scripps Biomedical Research’s Dr. Kirill Martemyanov into a molecular genetic mechanism that affects tolerance at the behavioral level.

In findings published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, SCRI’s Dr. David Rawlings and UW’s Dr. Marion Pepper discovered changing the structure of COVID antibodies better prevented against infection and against more virus variants.

Dr. Bruce Torbett’s NIH/NIAID five-year, $29 million award will support establishment of a multi-institutional “collaboratory” of leading HIV researchers.

The Center for Integrative Brain Research’s Dr. Ghayda Mirzza and team identified new genetic variants in PPP2R5D, which causes neurodevelopmental challenges in children.

In their paper published in Current Biology, Drs. Phil Morgan and Margaret Sedensky are the first to discover how gas anesthetics cause unconsciousness at the cellular level.

Researchers from the Majesky Lab and Millen Lab recently published a paper reporting the first cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to tissue regenerative wound healing properties in Acomys. 

New research from Drs. AlisonPaquette, Sheela Sathyanarayana and Drew Day shows relationships between exposure to certain chemicals called phthalates during pregnancy and the placenta, which may impact fetal development and infant health.

Improved therapeutic strategies against GBS will arise from a greater understanding of the molecules this bacterium produces to cause disease.