Annual Report 2023-2024

State of the Science research conference serves as incubator for collaboration Researchers, surgeons and other leaders from across Shriners Children’s gathered in Atlanta in February for the sixth annual State of the Science conference with a special focus on muscle and bone health. The meeting at Georgia Institute of Technology highlighted the strong collaboration between Shriners Children’s healthcare innovators and Georgia Tech engineers. “We are here to connect clinicians with engineers to solve problems,” said Marc Lalande, Ph.D., vice president of research for Shriners Children's. “Last year was the inaugural year of our joint conference, and already we have projects in motion that have the power to transform lives, providing hope and possibilities for children with complex medical conditions.” The two-day conference featured over forty presentations by physicians, scientists and engineers on current research projects. Artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to drive innovation was a common theme throughout the State of the Science meeting, with many surgeons arriving in Atlanta early to attend a certificate program on AI in Healthcare. Burn injury research: Looking beyond the short term For over 25 years, Shriners Children’s Boston researchers have sought to define and measure what happens to patients after their burns are initially treated. “A burn injury evolves from an acute illness to a chronic condition, and it’s important to recognize that these children face persistent challenges in quality of life, from infancy through adulthood,” said Colleen Ryan, M.D.

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