Shriners Children’s to Hold State of Research Meeting at Georgia Tech

On March 2-4, 2023, Shriners Children’sTM will hold its 5th annual research meeting at the Engineered Biosystems Building on Georgia Tech’s campus. With this collaborative intersection between healthcare and engineering, Georgia Tech hopes to foster more interest in pediatric innovation, research, and technology.

To view and download agenda, click here.

The official relationship between Georgia Tech and Shriners Children’s started in 2019. Shriners Children’s has funded more than $1.3M in collaborative research projects with Georgia Tech for exoskeleton, smart prosthetic, and data analytics, including in a collaborative research effort to help children with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and other conditions in 2020, and nearly a year later, encompassing the fields of precision medicine and big data analysis and interpretation.

“The goal of this meeting is to familiarize the Shriners research community with the many opportunities for expanding our existing partnership with Georgia Tech’s Pediatric Technology Center,” said Marc Lalande, Ph.D., vice president of research at Shriners Children’s. “Cutting-edge areas for collaboration include clinical data analytics, artificial intelligence, remote sensors for motion analysis, and customized exoskeletons for improving movement and other abilities. We look forward to exciting joint discoveries that will impact quality of life of our pediatric patients.”

Dr. Lalande will be on campus along with Cole Hilton, M.S., Research Informatics manager at Shriners Children’s, Tim Chou (the International Society for Pediatric Innovation), and several clinicians and thought leaders in the healthcare AI realm.

Topics discussed during the conference will include motion capture/tracking/analysis, tissue engineering, data analytics, and genomics. Lab tours on Saturday will include those of Georgia Tech researchers Aaron Young, Frank Hammond, and Hong Yeo.

“We look forward to the continuation of our journey to create and implement innovative technologies designed to refine the future of health and wellbeing of Shriners patients,” said Leanne West, a principal research scientist and chief engineer of the Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech.

Her work is part of Georgia Tech’s pediatric technology program, which develops technological solutions to problems in the health and care of children.

“We are thrilled to explore such vital health topics in this upcoming meeting with clinical experts,” said West. “I’ve seen the difference that our research scientists and engineers make, especially in close partnerships like Shriners, where the real-world clinical need drives our efforts to improve, innovate, and transform health technologies.”

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About Shriners Children’s

Shriners Children’s is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our multiple locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. All care is provided regardless of the families’ ability to pay. Shriners Children’s has treated more than 1.5 million children from more than 170 countries over the last 100 years.

For more information on the care provided by Shriners Children’s, go to shrinerschildrens.org. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

About Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees.

Its more than 46,000 students, representing 50 states and more than 150 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society. For more information, please visit gatech.edu.