Children's Health Research Center (CHRC)

The University of Michigan Child Health Research Center (CHRC) supports the research career development of promising young pediatric investigators. The long-term goal of this program is to advance our understanding of biological systems and disease processes related to child health. 

The CHRC was founded in 1991 and is funded by the NIH-NICHD as part of the Child Health Research Center Development Award (CHRCDA) Program.  The CHRC has contributed to the training of over 50 pediatric-investigators, the majority of whom have gone on to establish successful independent research programs designed to improve our understanding of childhood disease as well as develop new therapeutic approaches.

  • CHRC scholars receive up to $100,000 per year for salary support and $25,000 per year for operating expenses, up to a period of three years.
  • Mentorship and guidance is provided by the CHRC Leadership and senior investigators at the University of Michigan.  

We are actively recruiting talented junior pediatricians with particular efforts directed towards minority candidates to careers in academic pediatrics.  Trainees completing their residency in pediatrics, fellows in subspecialty training and junior faculty are eligible for this program. Investigators interested in applying of the program should contact Marc Hershenson M.D. 

 

CHRC Leadership

Principal Investigator: 

Valerie P. Opipari, M.D. Ravitz Foundation Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases.

Training Director:

Marc B. Hershenson, M.D. Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology; Division Director, Pediatric Pulmonology.

CHRC Advisory Committee:

Vivian G. Cheung, M.D. Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; Professor of Human Genetics; Research Professor, Life Sciences Institute; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Catherine E. Keegan M.D, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases

John J. LiPuma, M.D. James L. Wilson, M.D. Research Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health; Division Director, Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

Carey N. Lumeng, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; Associate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology; Director of Faculty Development. 

Donna M. Martin, M.D., Ph.D. Donita B. Sullivan Research Professor in Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; Associate Professor of Human Genetics.

Jordan A. Shavit, M.D. Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases

Delia M. Vazquez, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Psychiatry (recruitment)

External Advisory Committee:

Maria G. Castro, Ph.D. R. C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Jack M. Parent, M.D. Professor of Neurology; Director of the Neurodevelopment and Regeneration Laboratory; Co-director, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Juanita L. Merchant, M.D., Ph.D. H. Marvin Pollard Professor of Gastrointestinal Sciences in Internal Medicine; Associate Director, University of Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program.

 

Current Scholars

  • Gabriel Cara-Fuentes, MD, Clinical Lecturer, Pediatrics-Nephrology
    Mentor: Puneet Garg, MD
    Research: Role of CD80 in Minimal Change Disease
  • Daniel C. Peltier, MD, PhD, Clinical Lecturer, Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology
    Mentor: Pavan Reddy, MD
    Research: Pathogenesis of allogeneic T-cell-mediated GVL and GVH
  • Jessica Turnier, MD, Clinical Lecturer, Pediatrics-Rheumatology
    Mentor: J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD
    Research: Role of podocytes and S100A4 in LN pathogenesis
  • Julie Ziobro, MD, PhD, Clinical Lecturer, Pediatrics-Neurology
    Mentor: Jack Parent, MD
    Research: Development and characterization of a rodent model of PCDH19-related epilepsy

Recent Scholars

  • Louis T. Dang, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Lecturer, Pediatrics-Neurology
    Mentor: Jack M. Parent, MD
    Research: Electrophysiological, biochemical, and pharmacological characterization of Dravet Syndrome patient-derived neurons
  • Angela Weyand, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
    Mentor: Jordan A. Shavit, MD, PhD
    Research: Identifying genetic modifiers of coagulation; using ENU mutagenesis screen to identify suppressor or enhancer mutations in a zebrafish model of Factor V deficiency
  • Gina Ney, MD, Clinical Lecturer, Pediatric Hematology/Oncolog
    Mentor: Qing Li, MD, PhD
    Research: Metabolic reprogramming in pre-leukemic hematopoietic stem cells, focusing on the role of oncogenic N-ras
  • Jennifer R. Bermick (Dalton), MD, Assistant Professor, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
    Mentor: Nicholas W. Lukacs, PhD
    Research: Epigenetic regulation of the premature immune system.
  • Challice L. Bonifant, MD, PhD
    Mentor: Pavan Reddy, MD
    Research: Enhancement of tumor killing adoptively transferred engineered T cells as treatment for AML.
  • Carl J. Koschmann, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
    Mentor:Maria G. Castro, PhD
    Research: Targeting ATRX-Deficient Pediatric Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).