The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) aims to help researchers uncover new insights into the biology of childhood cancer and structural birth defects, including the discovery of shared genetic pathways between these disorders. Kids First is achieving this goal through two initiatives: 1) identifying children with childhood cancer and structural birth defects and their families for whole genome sequencing performed by the Kids First sequencing centers 2) developing the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource, a large-scale database of clinical and genetic data from patients with childhood cancers and structural birth defects and their families. Kids First celebrated the program's achievements at the June 7, 2023 National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council meeting.
Several NIH Working Group members provided presentations to highlight various aspects of the program and to bring attention to achievements, patient stories and various topics related to structural birth defects and childhood cancer research. If you missed the meeting, don’t worry! You can watch recordings of the Kids First presentations below:
- Dr. James Coulombe of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development presented an overview of the research on structural birth defects and childhood cancer made possible by the program: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49649&start=5726&stop=6135
- Dr. Philip Lupo of Baylor College of Medicine-- a Kids First supported researcher-- talked about how birth defects like congenital heart disease can increase the risk of certain types of childhood cancers: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49649&start=6152&stop=8234
- Ms. Ellyn Miller, President and Founder of the Smashing Walnuts Foundation, and Gabriella Miller’s mother, was the “Voice of the Participant,” telling her family’s story and sharing Kids First advances: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49649&start=8340&stop=9152
These exciting and touching presentations convey the important work being done by the program. If you are interested in learning more about the Kids First program, you can find more information on the Kids First website, sign up for email notices through the Kids First listserv, or contact the program by email at KidsFirst@od.nih.gov. If you are interested in using data collected by the Kids First program to advance your research on childhood cancer, structural birth defects, or both, we encourage you to visit the Kids First Data Resource: https://kidsfirstdrc.org/.
