The Research Institute

We are committed to improving health outcomes for all children, no matter where they live. Our research efforts include studies that partner with local communities to deepen our understanding of childhood mental health, the unique needs of minority youth and adolescents living with chronic pain. Through our dedication to research, education and strategic collaborations with organizations like North Hartford Ascend and the Help Me Grow National Center, we are working to enhance the health and quality of life for children both locally and nationally. By building strong partnerships and efforts to improve access to care, we strive to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

We are at the forefront of using regenerative medicine techniques—such as tissue engineering, stem cell therapies, gene therapy and 3D bioprinting—to develop transformative therapies for fetal, neonatal and pediatric patients. Our work aims to enhance the lives of children with complex conditions by improving GI motility, optimizing lung development in premature infants and fostering better outcomes for kids with esophageal and urinary tract conditions. Our commitment to advancing pediatric health begins even before birth, with our fetal medicine scientists conducting pioneering research on in utero repair of myelomeningocele, a congenital spinal condition. Through these groundbreaking efforts, we are working toward healthier futures for children from the very beginning of life.

We are conducing cutting-edge research to deepen the understanding of a variety of microorganisms, vaccine development and infectious disease mechanisms at a biological level.  The Center’s leadership brings together experts from various scientific & medical fields to tackle complex health challenges and develop comprehensive solutions for a variety of inflammatory diseases & infectious diseases that affect children & young adults.  The Center’s investigations are strengthening scientific understanding for the role of the gut microbiome as a contributing factor in the ontogeny of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), inflammatory bowel disease and COVID-19.  They are also studying the pathogenesis of spirochetal diseases, most notably syphilis, Lyme disease and leptospirosis.  Through local, national & international collaborations on NIH funded research, physician scientists in the Center have contributed towards the development of better diagnostic tools, prevention strategies and enhanced treatment options for IBD, NEC, RSV, COVID-19, CMV and other pathogens that affect children and young adults.

CCRI is working tirelessly to improve pediatric cancer treatments and outcomes through personalized medicine. By identifying biomarkers and exploring genetic changes in child cancer patients, we aim to create targeted therapies that improve survival rates and quality of life for these brave children. Through a variety of novel investigations – including studies on germ cell tumors, bone sarcomas, cardiotoxicity and communication strategies for oncology patients – the Center pursues comprehensive research that addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by children who have cancer. Our collaboration with the national Children’s Oncology Group allows scientists in the Center to offer pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients the latest innovations in clinical therapy.

By analyzing the etiology and pathology of rare diseases, CCRI is advancing the science of gene therapy and bone biology. Research currently taking place in our basic science labs at UConn Health is expanding our understanding of these unique conditions – such as rare bone disorders, spinal muscular atrophy and glycogen storage disease – and paving the way for new treatments, providing hope to families of children with rare and often misunderstood diseases.