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CHOC offers access to cutting-edge pediatric research and clinical trials that can't be found anywhere else.

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CHOC Research Institute

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Terence Sanger, Chief Scientific Officer at CHOC, speaks to the importance of research at a children’s hospital.

We conduct research directly with children and adolescents in a facility devoted exclusively to the care, quality of life, rights and safety of children of all ages.

At CHOC, we know that research saves lives. That’s why our Research Institute has more than 500 research studies in more than 30 specialties to provide your child with access to leading-edge treatments. Our scientists translate the latest advances in molecular profiling, including whole genome sequencing, to meet the individual needs of our patients at every stage of their young lives —from infancy through adolescence.

Stories of Innovative Pediatric Research

Healthcare

Boy, 9, showing great progress after deep brain stimulation procedure at CHOC

Ryder Montano is the third and youngest CHOC patient with a movement disorder to undergo a procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS).

CHOC Docs Blog

Healthcare

First batch of awardees announced for new Chief Scientific Officer small grant program

The first batch of awardees in the CSO Small Grant Program, which launched in the third quarter of the current fiscal year, has been announced.

CHOC Docs Blog

Surgeons in operation room operating on patient

Ears, Nose, Throat / Otolaryngology

CHOC’s growing thyroid surgery program can compete with the busiest centers when it comes to favorable outcomes, research shows

Dr. Huoh, working with endocrinologists at CHOC, has spearheaded a multi-disciplinary thyroid surgery program that steadily has grown since then.

CHOC Docs Blog

-Health & Safety

Cutting-edge device approved for compassionate use saves leg, life of young girl

When 7-year-old Naomi Adrian took a spill on the school playground earlier this year and a schoolmate fell on top of her left leg, she got up with a slight limp. After what appeared to be a bruise kept growing, and as Naomi continued to walk awkwardly, her mother, Maria Nino, took her to the […]

CHOC Health

-Stories

Milestone procedure saves preemie with complex heart disease

Baby Hope looked into her mother’s eyes and gurgled. Four days short of turning 9 months old, wearing a white onesie with the words “Best Gift Ever” on the front, she made more baby talk. “You’re always a big chatterbox – what are you saying?” her mother, Elizabeth “Becca” Wyneken, said as she smiled and […]

CHOC Health

-Clinical Programs & Services

Wired for hope

Every morning when she awakes, Sydney Amato begins her daily battle with her body. If she’s lucky, the 16-year-old will have gotten a handful of hours of uninterrupted sleep – dreaming, perhaps, of doing what most healthy kids her age take for granted: Hanging out with friends. Going to school. Learning to drive. Because of […]

CHOC Health

Clinical Trials

At CHOC, we are dedicated to providing patients the very latest breakthrough treatments available to children, adolescents and young adults. Our efforts bring hope to patients with rare conditions, or conditions not responding to traditional treatments.

About the CHOC Research Institute

The CHOC Research Institute was formally established in 2003, after years of active participation in pediatric clinical research. Today, the Research Institute supports more than 350 active human-subject research studies across nearly all of our pediatric subspecialty areas.

The Institute’s Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance offices administer and oversee federal NIH, California State CIRM, private foundation and donor funding in support of translational and clinical child health research.

CHOC’s affiliation with the University of California, Irvine and our active collaborations with top academic institutions from around the United States expand our access to leading-edge research projects and resources. Our patients, and indeed children worldwide, benefit from these diverse efforts – bringing breakthroughs from the lab to the bedside.

Latest Research

Association of BRAF V600E mutations with vasoactive intestinal peptide syndrome in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma

Opportunities for Regulatory Changes to Promote Pediatric Device Innovation in the United States: Joint Recommendations From Pediatric Innovator Roundtables

An Improved Method for Individual Tracking of Voluntary Wheel Running in Pair-housed Juvenile Mice

Predicting pain among female survivors of recent interpersonal violence: A proof-of-concept machine-learning approach

Pediatric interfacility transport effects on mortality and length of stay

Recalibration of the Renal Angina Index for Pediatric Septic Shock

Patient preferences and priorities for haemophilia gene therapy in the US: A discrete choice experiment

Research Professionals

The Research Institute is committed to delivering comprehensive service, from pre-award assistance to post-award management. We make every effort to accommodate individual researcher's needs and schedules within the resources of our office, and we act as an advocate for the faculty and the university in the research process.

Institutional Review Boards

Institutional Review Boards
CHOC currently has two Institutional Review Boards

Research Administration

Research Administration
CHOC's Research Administration office is a valuable resource for the CHOC community, providing expertise and highly specialized service in the important area of research management.

Proposal Preparation

Proposal Preparation
Information you need for proposal preparation.

CHOC and UC Irvine have a history of collaborating on research that brings advanced treatment to patients, including the National Children’s Study, which is the largest and most comprehensive long-term study of environmental effects on child health and development. Through the formal affiliation, additional grants have been awarded to both institutions, and CHOC researchers have access to valuable University resources, like the Beckman Laser Institute, in an effort to bring breakthrough therapies and cures to pediatric patients.

Contact Us

Location: CHOC Research Building – 4th Floor

Phone: 714-509-4341 | Fax: 714-509-4318

CHOC Clinical Care and Research Attracts Patients Worldwide

The McGregor family of Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada found CHOC while searching for treatment alternatives for their 11-year-old daughter, Katharina (Katha). Katha has Niemann-Pick disease Type C (NP-C), a rare genetic disease that causes cholesterol to accumulate in the brain, lungs, liver and spleen, leading to deterioration and early death.

Since March 2016, Katha and her mother have traveled from Canada to CHOC every other week to participate in a yearlong clinical trial. While the travel is challenging, McGregor says it is definitely worthwhile. Read Katha’s story.