Governor Brian Kemp announced this week that Shriners Children’s will establish a new pediatric medical research facility in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to creating 470 new jobs, Shriners Children’s will invest more than $153 million into the facility at Science Square. This facility will be a first-of-its-kind research institute for Shriners Children’s, positioning the nonprofit healthcare system as a significant player on the global stage by utilizing its expansive network of pediatric specialists and researchers to provide life-changing care and innovative new treatments.
“We are thrilled to be establishing this new center for world-class pediatric medical research in Georgia,” said Shriners Children’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Leslie D. Stewart. “The opportunities to advance our research through collaborations and partnerships such as the one with Georgia Tech made Atlanta the clear choice.”
The proposal for a Shriners Children’s Research Institute grew from a collaboration that started in 2019 between the Georgia Institute of Technology Pediatric Innovation Network and the Shriners Children’s research department, headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Since then, the two groups have produced over 25 joint research projects, such as robotic exoskeletons to assist patients with cerebral palsy and wearable sensors to monitor sleep problems in cleft lip and palate patients.
“The Shriners Children’s Research Institute will serve as a multidisciplinary innovation hub to advance the healthcare of children,” said Dr. Marc Lalande, Shriners Children’s Vice President of Research Programs. “The close partnership with the outstanding biomedical engineers and scientists from Georgia Tech and Emory University will accelerate discovery and spearhead new treatments and therapies.”
Shriners Children’s provides world-class care to kids with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and cleft palate, regardless of a family’s ability to pay or insurance status. The nonprofit healthcare system also offers specialized services like motion analysis and custom orthotics and prosthetics. For over a century, Shriners Children’s has treated more than 2 million children, with patients coming from across the U.S., Canada, and 128 countries just last year alone.
“The establishment of this Research Institute will accelerate research discoveries that benefit not just our patients but children around the world,” Dr. Lalande said. “Shriners Children’s research that began decades ago is helping patients today, and we are confident that the research we are doing now, from genomics, motion analysis, artificial intelligence and much more, will drive tangible results far into the future.”
