The University of Southern California announced that it will be teaming up with Children's Hospital Los Angeles to develop a new research complex dedicated to improving medical devices and technology for children.
"Since children differ from adults in their size, anatomy, body chemistry, and overall growth and development, there currently exists a need for novel medical devices for pediatric use," said Dr. Chester Koh of the Keck School of USC. Koh will co-direct the new research center which will formally be called The Center for Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP).
Largely due to economic, clinical, and regulatory setbacks, the development of pediatric medicine lags behind the adult medical technology by five to ten years. The Center for Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics' main goal is to tackle this problem.
CTIP hopes to identify and foster innovative pediatric device projects, connect people and resources to spur medical development, and to address and alleviate current barriers to commercialization.
Dr. Brent Polk, director of the Saban Research Institute and chair of pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, added that the long term plans are to sustain a pipeline of new pediatric devices at Children's Hospital and USC to improve the lives of future patients.
If you a laboratory representative, PI, lab researcher, or other life science professional, plan on attending an the upcoming BioResearch Product Faire™ Front Line Events show at the USC Health Science Campus on October 5, 2011.