Children's Healthcare, Georgia Tech in $20M research partnership

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the have announced a $20 million joint investment, strengthening their research commitment to developing technological solutions for improving children’s health.

The expanded collaboration combines the proficiencies of both organizations with a common vision – to become the global leader in pediatric technologies.

“What brings us together is changing the lives of the kids. The children of Georgia and throughout the country deserve the best care we can provide,” Children’s President and CEO Donna Hyland said in a news release. “At Children’s, our mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow. We can do so much more with a strong partnership with Georgia Tech. Our $20 million alliance makes it clear just how committed both parties are to helping kids and provides an extraordinary opportunity for others who care about kids to join us.”

Both organizations will operate under guiding principles that include enhancing societal and economic impact by transforming pediatrics, strengthening collaborative partnerships and creating opportunities.

“This initiative also builds on our existing partnerships with other medical education leaders in the state and represents another example of how we are strategically fostering alliances that will help improve the human condition,” Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson said in the release. “Not only will this collaboration improve the lives of children, it will also create new technologies that will lead to new products, new companies and more jobs for Georgia.”

The enhanced alliance will support current researchers and recruit new researchers who will conduct fundamental and translational research. The problem-solving partnership will be guided by a joint Children’s-Georgia Tech strategic plan designed to define a balanced portfolio of work with near-term impact and “game changing” focus.

Georgia Tech researchers will work in close collaboration with Children’s clinicians to develop the best possible technologies for advancing children’s health and delivering pediatric services in leading-edge research areas from nanomedicine and regenerative medicine to innovative approaches for health care delivery.

The alliance is being initiated by a $10 million investment from Children’s, which will be matched by planned investment from Georgia Tech, culminating in a $20 million commitment to research focusing on pediatric technology and fundamental and translational research. The enhanced collaboration will include participation by existing Children’s research centers and faculty and researchers from academic and research units throughout Georgia Tech.

Since 2007, Georgia Tech and Children’s have collaborated on more than 130 pediatric research projects. These efforts will continue to take place at both Georgia Tech and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta research facilities.