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 University of Michigan is one of only 13 CHRC programs in the country, placing it in the highest echelon of pediatrics departments nationally. The CHRC has contributed to the training of over 60 pediatrician-investigators at Michigan, 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 up to $25,000 per year for research development costs.
  • 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 for the program should contact Marc Hershenson M.D.  

CHRC Leadership

Principal Investigator: 
Donna M. Martin, MD PhD, Ravitz Foundation Professor of Pediatrics; Chair, Department of Pediatrics

Training Directors:
Marc B. Hershenson, MD, Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Carey N. Lumeng, MD PhD, Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology

External Advisory Committee:

D. Wade Clapp, MD 
Richard L. Schreiner Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
Indiana University School of Medicine
Professor, Microbiology & Immunology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research
Physician-in-Chief, Riley Hospital for Children 

Patrick D. Brophy MD, MHCDS
William H. Eilinger Professor and Chair
Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Physician-in-Chief of the Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center 

Linda McAllister-Lucas, MD, PhD
Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Department of Pediatrics
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Current Scholars

  • Jennifer Yi-Chun Lai Yee, MD, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: Jacob Kitzman, PhD
    Research: Precision medicine in nephrotic syndrome: Functionally classification of WT1 missense and spliceogenic variants in a cell model/kidney organoid system
  • Joshua Meisner, MD PhD, Instructor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: Adam Helms, MD
    Research: TANGO2-related metabolic encephalopathy and arrhythmia
  • Michael Triebwasser, MD PhD, Instructor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: Joerg Lahann, MS, PhD
    Research: Gene therapy for hematopoietic diseases using synthetic nanoparticles

Recent Scholars

  • David Svilar, MD, PhD, Instructor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: David Ginsburg, MD
    Research: Investigating the role of the blood vessel in thrombotic microangiopathy
  • Sharon Singh, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: James Doublas Engel, PhD
    Research: The role of Rpl5 haploinsufficiency in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell function in Diamond Blackfan anemia
  • Julie Ziobro, MD PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatraic Neurology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: Jack Parent, MD
    Research: Development and characterization of a rodent model of PCDH19-related epilepsy
  • Daniel C. Peltier, MD PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine
    Mentor: Pavan Reddy, MD
    Research: Pathogenesis of allogeneic T-cell-mediated graft vs host disease
  • Gina M. Ney, MD, PhD, Staff Clinician, National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics
    Mentor(s): Qing Li, MD, PhD; Pavan Reddy, MD
    Research: Contribution of oncogenic N-ras to metabolic reprogramming in pre-leukemic hematopoietic stem cells
  • Gabriel Cara-Fuentes, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado – Pediatric Nephrology
    Mentor: Puneet Garg, MD
    Research: Role of CD80 in minimal change disease
  • Jessica L. Turnier, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD
    Research: Defining cutaneous gene expression signatures in juvenile dermatomyositis 
  • Louis T. Dang, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, University of Michigan Medical School
    Mentor: Jack M. Parent, MD
    Research: Electrophysiological, biochemical, and pharmacological characterization of Dravet Syndrome patient-derived neurons
  • Challice L. Bonifant, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
    Mentor: Pavan Reddy, MD
    Research: Enhancement of tumor killing adoptively transferred engineered T cells as treatment for AML.