Johns Hopkins All Children’s Receives $ 1.6 Million Grant for Organ and Tissue Donation Study

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg has received a grant of more than $ 1 million over five years to study recruitment for problems with organ and tissue donation after loss of a child.

The $ 1.6 million grant was awarded by the National Institutes of Health for the hospital to “study the ethical, legal and social implications of approaching families about organ and tissue donation when” they’ve lost a child or their child is managing end-of-life care, ”according to a hospital statement.

The award is part of a larger $ 12.5 million donated by NIH to study gene expression in children’s organs, as part of the Genome Tissue Expression for Development project. The multi-site study is being led by the National Disease Research Interchange of Philadelphia, as part of a national effort.

“This study offers an incredible opportunity to include the perspectives of culturally and linguistically diverse families, tissue seekers, as well as community partners on a very sensitive and difficult subject,” says Raquel Hernandez, MD, MPH, FAAP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, research study director and director of the Center for Pediatric Health Equity Research at John Hopkins All Children’s. “Including a 360-degree approach is new and will give us critical perspectives on best practice related to pediatric tissue donation. “

One of the goals of the study is to help scientists understand the DNA and RNA of pediatric organs and tissues during different developmental periods as a child grows older. The grant announcement said that efforts to prevent and treat childhood illnesses depend on the ability to understand the genetic code in organs and tissues.

As part of the study at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, facility staff will interview family decision makers when they consent to donate their child’s tissue and conduct multilingual surveys and focus groups with family members. family and tissue seekers.

“It is an honor and a privilege to walk with families throughout the care of a child’s end of life,” said Melissa Faith, Ph.D., ABPP, Chartered and Chartered Psychologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Hospital. University School of Medicine, and grant co-investigator. “Families in this situation are often going through one of the most vulnerable times of their lives. Our ultimate goal is to learn the most respectful and mindful ways to provide these families with opportunities to participate in genetic research. “

Faith said the hospital is also working to learn how the dGTEx study can provide a diverse sample pool to “improve health outcomes for all children.” The hospital will work with community organizations to improve diversity and inclusion during the study.