Date: February 28, 2023

ATLANTA (February 28, 2023)Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, the primary academic partner of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is the largest recipient of federal research dollars from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2022 for pediatrics departments, according to rankings from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. The new figures show the pediatrics department ranking No. 1 again, for the second time in three years. The program has maintained a top five ranking since 2016, up from No. 49 in 2004.

The funding allows researchers to work towards cures, and on treatments, innovations, and diagnostics for a variety of childhood diseases including autism, infectious diseases, cancer and blood disorders, cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, asthma, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and more. Learn more about these research projects and others from the past year in the Children’s and Emory 2022 Research Report: Looking Ahead to a Healthier Tomorrow.

“Ranking no. 1 again, for the second time since 2020, among NIH-funded pediatric departments nationwide demonstrates that the Children’s and Emory partnership is stronger than ever,” said Lucky Jain, MD, Pediatrician-in-Chief of Children’s and Chair of the Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. “We have not only remained resilient but gone above and beyond during the challenging times presented by the pandemic. As we look to the future, this top ranking is a result of the unwavering commitment between our two institutions and passion for new treatments to make anything possible for kids.”

The Children’s and Emory relationship facilitates leading-edge pediatric research, training and innovation so that Children’s can deliver the best outcomes possible for patients and families. Rankings are based on NIH funding received between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. In addition to $77 million in NIH grant funding that led to the second No. 1 ranking, more than 2,200 publications in more than 1,000 journals in the same time period helped support groundbreaking efforts to develop new treatments or cures in 50 specialty areas.

The NIH is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, granting more than 80 percent of its budget to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions in every state and around the world. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research is a trusted nonprofit that utilizes data annually on all research and development contracts awarded by the NIH. Visit choa.org/research or med.emory.edu/departments/pediatrics to learn more.

About Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

As the only freestanding pediatric healthcare system in Georgia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is the trusted leader in caring for kids. The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow through more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs, top healthcare professionals, and leading research and technology. Children’s is one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, managing more than one million patient visits annually at three hospitals, Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, urgent care centers and neighborhood locations. Consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has impacted the lives of kids in Georgia, across the United States and around the world for more than 100 years thanks to generous support from the community.