NEWS RELEASE: Children’s National Hospital selected to lead next-generation BARDA Accelerator Network special populations hub
WASHINGTON – Children’s National Hospital, widely recognized for its expertise in pediatric health innovation, has been chosen to lead the Special Populations Hub in the next generation of the BARDA Accelerator Network of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The next generation of the BARDA Accelerator Network builds on lessons learned from the first iteration of the network and the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the importance of agile and scalable mechanisms to support innovation. This network is comprised of hubs across the U.S. focused on supporting innovations in diagnostics/medical devices, therapeutics/vaccines, digital health tools, special populations and enabling technologies. Together, these five hubs will allow BARDA to foster the growth of the innovation ecosystem and partner with entrepreneurs, innovators and companies to develop adaptable, scalable, sustainable, accessible and equitable health security solutions.
The pediatric-focused hub will be known as Special Populations Acceleration, Research and Knowledge (SPARK) for Innovations in Pediatrics. Children’s National will lead the hub with its SPARK partners: BioHealth Innovation, Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology (CIMIT) at Mass General Brigham, and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s. Industry strategic partner Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) – has a Washington, D.C., site co-located at the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus that serves as the hub for BLUE KNIGHT™, a joint initiative between JLABS and BARDA aimed at advancing the innovation and incubation of high-potential science and technologies that may improve health security and response.
“We are thrilled to have been selected to lead the BARDA Accelerator Network Hub for Pediatrics, a role that underscores our commitment to advancing the health and safety of children during public health emergencies. To tackle the complex challenges of pediatric medical countermeasures (MCMs), we have assembled an exceptional team of pediatrician-scientists. Their expertise will be instrumental as we partner with BARDA on this vital mission, ensuring that our most vulnerable populations receive the care and protection they deserve,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National and principal investigator of SPARK Innovations in Pediatrics, the BARDA Accelerator Network Hub for Special Populations.
Julia Finkel, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and critical care, and head of pain medicine research at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, will be serving as the co-principal investigator of SPARK. An entrepreneur and founder of AlgometRx, Dr. Finkel brings a wealth of expertise in life sciences, clinical trials and academic entrepreneurship.
SPARK Hub seeks to accelerate innovations that can detect, prevent or respond to the medical consequences of a health security threat for children. SPARK’s scope includes drugs, biologics, devices, diagnostics and digital health solutions that improve prevention, readiness and response in health security situations.
“One of the critical challenges we face in safeguarding our children during public health emergencies is the limited MCMs specifically approved for pediatric use,” Dr. Eskandanian said. “This creates significant ethical, legal and operational dilemmas when considering the use of untested or off-label MCMs for our youngest and most vulnerable populations.”
Children’s National has in-depth experience in leading nonprofit accelerator programs to spur innovation in children’s healthcare and is currently serving its 12th year as leader of one of five pediatric consortia funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation, which focuses on bringing patients medical devices specifically evaluated and labeled for use in the pediatric population. In addition, Children’s National is also one of two leading hospital sites for the Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), which aims to empower healthcare systems and communities to provide high-quality, equitable care to children every day and in crises. The Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of HHS, funds the PPN.
The BARDA Accelerator Network aims to provide comprehensive support to health security innovators, startups and BARDA portfolio companies through wrap-around accelerator services, technical and business/commercialization expertise, and resources. The network will facilitate the rapid development, evaluation, validation and commercialization of medical countermeasures.
About Children’s National Hospital
Children’s National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., was established in 1870 to help every child grow up stronger. Today, it is the No. 5 children’s hospital in the nation and ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Children’s National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. The Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus opened in 2021, a first-of-its-kind pediatric hub dedicated to developing new and better ways to care for kids. Children’s National has been designated three times in a row as a Magnet® hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty care locations in the D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia. Children’s National is home to the Children’s National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. As a nonprofit, Children’s National relies on generous donors to help ensure that every child receives the care they need. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About The BARDA Accelerator Network
The BARDA Accelerator Network, a program of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), fosters the growth of the global health security innovation ecosystem by accelerating the development and commercialization of next-generation health security solutions. The Network has 5 Hubs that support the global innovation community: Diagnostics/Medical Devices Hub, Therapeutics/Vaccines Hub, Enabling Technologies Hub, Digital Health Hub, and Special Populations Hub. For more information, visit https://drive.hhs.gov/
The opinions expressed in this news release are the author’s only and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Design & Outsourcing or its employees.
