Research Bulletin
News from the Child Health Research Institute
October 2021
Dr. Ann Anderson Berry
Named CHRI Executive Director
The Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) is pleased to announce Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD, has been named CHRI’s executive director and vice president of Research at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, effective Oct. 4, 2021. Dr. Anderson Berry has served as CHRI’s interim executive director since September 2019 and is also the division chief of Neonatology at Children’s and a professor of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at UNMC.

“It is an honor and a privilege to lead the Child Health Research Institute. The culmination of a decade of visionary work by numerous leaders, CHRI is uniquely positioned with the support of both UNMC and Children’s and their unique and complementary resources to serve children and their families through impactful research,” says Dr. Anderson Berry. “The talent and ingenuity of the faculty and staff of CHRI will provide countless innovations in child health research in the years to come, and I am thrilled to play a role in facilitating that work.”

“Pediatric research is a powerful part of Children’s mission to improve the lives of children; it helps us discover breakthroughs, unlock cures and restore childhoods,” says Chanda Chacón, Children’s President & CEO. “I am inspired by Dr. Anderson Berry’s commitment to this innovative work, and excited to see how the CHRI team’s work will continue to advance the field and enhance outcomes.”

“Dr. Anderson Berry’s leadership will greatly benefit CHRI as it moves forward in its crucial mission to support innovative and collaborative research to improve the health of all children,” says UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD. “She is not only a talented researcher and caring physician in her own right; she also is a committed and passionate leader. We are excited to see how this important partnership between UNMC and Children’s will grow and flourish under her guidance.”

Dr. Anderson Berry earned her medical degree at the Creighton University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Creighton-Nebraska Universities Pediatrics Residency Program and her Neonatology fellowship at University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Anderson Berry received her Ph.D. in Medical Nutrition through the Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area program at UNMC. She leads an active research group with Corrine Hanson, Ph.D., associate professor, Medical Nutrition Education Division in the College of Allied Health Professions at UNMC.
Q&A with CHRI Executive Director
Dr. Anderson Berry
Congratulations on your appointment. As interim executive director, you led CHRI in preparing a 5-year strategic plan. As CHRI emerges from the pandemic, do you see those goals changing or being adjusted? 
 
The goals outlined in the CHRI strategic plan were developed with the input of multiple CHRI stakeholders over the course of a year and represent a general road map for the Institute. They are designed to be flexible enough to respond to rapidly changing experiences such as a world pandemic and allow CHRI to support our talented investigators and build the research infrastructure needed to grow our capabilities and advance child health research. As a young but rapidly maturing institute, the current goals and strategies provide countless opportunities for growth in scope and productivity.
 
You were also named vice president of research at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. How do you see that role positively impacting what CHRI is able to achieve and be?
 
Having a vice president of research at Children’s is a fantastic growth opportunity and a critical component of the future success of CHRI. This position will allow Children’s leaders across all areas to better understand and integrate Children’s research and innovation mission with the mission and efforts of CHRI.  It will also allow CHRI to identify additional opportunities to integrate with clinical operations and to advance clinical and translational research while protecting the efficiency and resources of the hospital and clinics. My goal is to help both Children’s and CHRI grow in their success in research and innovation and to meet the specific needs of our investigators and patients. This integration will lead to important advances in child health, and everyone benefits from a high-quality research program within the clinical enterprise.
 
Beyond the 5-year strategic plan, what is your long-term vision/hope for CHRI? 
 
As CHRI grows and matures as an institute over the next decade, I envision that it will be instrumental in helping UNMC and Children’s to be nationally known as leaders and premier academic institutions in child health research. Our success in preparing a diverse and talented pipeline of investigators and clinicians who practice evidence-based care will impact the health of children across Nebraska, the region and the world. The foundations and infrastructure we are building now, along with the investments of our parent institutions and visionary philanthropists, will ensure that our impact is far reaching.
CHRI Goals:

A. Elevate and Integrate Research: Foster, sustain and integrate high impact pediatric research across Children's Hospital & Medical Center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, partner institutions, and the communities that we serve. 
 
B. Develop Premier Investigators: Promote an environment that recruits, retains, and advances established investigators while strategically mentoring and investing resources to drive sustained growth of early-career faculty, our future leaders in child health research. 
 
C. Ensure Our Discoveries Impact Child Health: Discoveries will be disseminated, discussed, critically reviewed and then integrated into practice in clinics, hospitals and populations to improve the health of every child and prepare each child for a fulfilling and productive life.
CHRI Priorities & Activities:
Update from Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD

I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the impact of collaboration in research in general and specifically, the impact that the NU Collaboration Initiative to be held October 28th in Lincoln can have on a research team.

As an intensivist, I have relied my entire career on the ability of a team of multidisciplinary individuals to come together in a high stakes situation to provide extraordinary outcomes for critical patients. The impact is always greater than the sum of the parts. As a primary investigator in a multidisciplinary research team, I also hold up this expectation. Having a variety of backgrounds, training and areas of expertise expands the possibilities of the investigation of the primary hypothesis and the specific aims of a grant.

Team science, while not new, is an increasingly important concept for grants submissions and, for most areas with high stakes funding, almost expected.

“Team science is a collaborative effort to address a scientific challenge that leverages the strengths and expertise of professionals trained in different fields.”
 
The NU Collaboration Initiative is based on the idea that if we foster intercampus and interdisciplinary relationships at the . . .

To read the rest of Dr. Anderson Berry's letter, please click here.
New Pediatric Leukemia Group Forms Due to Connections Made at PCRG Symposium
The Pediatric Cancer Research Group (PCRG) Hematological Malignancy Interest Group was recently formed by CHRI investigators who attended the PCRG Symposium. Melissa Acquazzino, MD, associate professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, kindly answered our questions about the group's purpose and origins.
 
Can you tell us a little about the group you have been working with? Who is in the group, how many times have you met, and what are the group’s goals?
 
The PCRG Hematologic Malignancy Interest group is a collection of physicians, scientists and physician-scientists that have the common goal of improving survival and decreasing short and long-term toxicity of treatment in children with leukemia. We meet monthly to review ongoing research and discuss opportunities for new projects.
 
How did this group come into existence?
 
This group was formed as a result of a PCRG symposium that highlighted current pediatric cancer research happening at UNMC and Children's. This meeting made the necessary introductions to recognize common research areas and opportunities for collaboration.
 
What has your research on survivorship revealed and how has membership in your subgroup aided, if at all, in the understanding and scope of your findings?
 
My research in Survivorship is just beginning, but I have already learned the importance of a strong research team and the value in working together across departments and sites (UNMC and Children's). I have also been impressed by the amazing support available to junior researchers like myself, through the CHRI, PCRG, Children's, UNMC and the Department of Pediatrics. We are hoping to use the results of our survivorship research to improve medical outcomes and quality of life in our childhood cancer survivors.
 
Is there any other information about your research or the group that you would like to share?
 
I would like to thank our patients and their families for their willingness to participate in our clinical research studies. I am always impressed by our patients' desire to give back and to make things easier for the kids that come after them.
 
If you are interested in joining the PCRG Hematological Malignancy Interest Group, please email chri@unmc.edu. 
CityMatCH Team Authors Article
Addressing Birth Equity
The Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes, or Equity Institute (EI), is one of CityMatCH’s programs to engage with city and county health departments to address racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. These inequities include low and very low birth weight, pre-term delivery and infant mortality. Several CityMatCH team members co-authored a new article in Maternal and Child Health Journal titled, “Enhancing the Capacity of Local Health Departments to Address Birth Equity: The Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes.” The team at CityMatCH took time to respond to questions about the study for the Research Bulletin.
 
According to the introduction section of the article, “The purpose of this paper is to describe a model for building the capacity of local health departments to use recommended approaches to address equity in birth outcomes.” What are the core principles of the EI model, and how does it take shape “on the ground” in communities?
 
We start with the understanding that social inequalities, driven by structural racism and discrimination, are the primary drivers of perinatal inequities. Layered atop this is the belief that, to be most effective, our public health programs need to work to improve outcomes as quickly as possible for families in need, while also addressing the root causes of the inequities. We refer to this as working upstream and downstream. In addition to the work our health departments are already doing to improve outcomes, the EI model asks them to examine their data and work with the community to plan, implement and evaluate two new initiatives – one downstream initiative capable of producing measurable results over 18-24 months and one upstream initiative that addresses the social determinants of health inequities primarily focused on changing policies, systems and the environment. The main keys for both the upstream and downstream strategies are that they must be data-informed and community-driven. This approach requires building authentic relationships with community members and partners, breaking down internal and external silos and defining strategies that will have the greatest impact on a community.
 
One prominent method in the paper is “Best Change Process Assessment,” which measures readiness and capacity of EI teams. How does this work?
 
We work with an evaluation partner at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KU). There are several components of data gathering and evaluation. The Best Processes Assessment is a tool used to evaluate improved capacity, implemented policies and practices and improved trust amongst partners over the three-year projects. The Best Processes Assessment is administered to each team annually and compared to the baseline and previous year’s assessment to evaluate change over time. The KU team has also designed an online portal for tracking the progress of our teams called the Community Check Box. Teams can log in regularly and quickly enter activities and other inputs, thereby recording process outcomes as they occur. The Best Processes Assessment, Community Checkbox and additional tools utilized by our evaluation team allow them to gather data and perform a more complete analysis with quantitative and qualitative measures. Evaluation of our teams has allowed us to identify best practices, refine the technical assistance we provide with every new cohort and develop innovative ways to analyze the work.
 
What did you learn about keys to a community’s success in implementing a new initiative for equitable outcomes in their local setting?
 
Nearly a decade after initiating the Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes, CityMatCH has been able to identify three keys to a community’s success. The first is having a local cross-sector team that is truly invested in the elimination of birth disparities. This includes the local health department, community-based organizations, people with lived experience and partners from varied fields. The community must be included in the work from the beginning and throughout the process. True investment also means that each person and agency involved is committed to doing the difficult internal work of examining systems that arise within themselves and their organizations and challenging them to move toward transformative change.
 
The second key is creating strategies that are data informed. We recognize that data comes in many forms, and it is important to collect as much as possible to understand the full story of that community. Data analysis methods such as Perinatal Periods of Risk (which identifies areas of excess infant mortality), data sources such as local community health improvement plans and community voice all play a vital role in identifying the most impactful strategies for each community.
 
Finally, having a great team to support the health departments is key. Our public health agencies around the country are inundated with demands and priorities. The CityMatCH team works to continually remind them of their commitment to equity and to gently nudge the work forward, even in the midst of responding to a pandemic. 
Dr. Eric Peeples Publishes Article
on the Role microRNAs in Connection with
Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury in Babies
Eric Peeples, MD, associate professor, Division of Neonatology, recently had an article titled, “Temporal brain microRNA expression changes in a mouse model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury,” in the journal Pediatric Research. Dr. Peeples discussed the study with us.
 
The introduction of your article sums up how perinatal hypoxic–ischemic brain injury (HIBI) produces hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in hundreds of thousands of newborns each year, worldwide. What is the significance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the brain of a baby diagnosed with HIBI?
 
In short, we don’t exactly know yet. MicroRNAs appear to play a significant role in other disease processes, including adult stroke, which is considered to be fairly analogous to neonatal HIBI. The circulating microRNA profile in human infants has been shown to be altered after delivery in infants who suffered HIBI, but the brain-specific (where circulating levels would include miRNAs from all injured organs) miRNA profile after injury is unknown. Since we do not currently have non-invasive technology to measure the brain miRNA levels in humans, we have to resort to translating results from animal models for now.
 
Which questions about miRNA did you and your colleagues seek to answer in this study, using mice as an experimental model?
 
Since there has bever been a report of the complete brain miRNA expression after neonatal HIBI, we sought to generate a full profile of temporal (at 24 hours and 72 hours after HIBI) miRNA expression in this study. This is especially important, because most of the previous studies have focused on miRNA expression in the first minutes to hours after injury. These early studies are difficult to translate to the development of therapies since the miRNA profile is known to change rapidly in the first six hours after HIBI, and the primary therapeutic window in neonatal HIBI is between ~6 and 72 hours after injury. In a related study, for which the manuscript has been submitted and is under review, we also assessed the regional expression in three different regions of the brain 30 minutes after injury. In order to provide the full profile of expression in both of these studies, we used next-generation microRNA sequencing that allowed for the identification of any known microRNA, as opposed to the microarrays used in previous studies which are limited to only a subset of microRNAs.
 
What were your most noteworthy findings?
 
The most meaningful outcome of this study was the establishment of the miRNA expression landscape to support future diagnostic and therapeutic studies in the future. Specifically, we identified four microRNAs that were significantly and consistently altered after HIBI. We believe they will be high-yield for future therapeutic testing.
 
In the article, you also point out that current standard therapies for infants with HIBI fall well short of eliminating neurodevelopmental disability and mortality – a strong motivation for this research path. Now that you have this much established in the mouse model, what step(s) do you hope to take next?
 
One of the primary goals of our current research path is to attempt to develop novel therapeutic interventions for neonatal HIBI through the manipulation of (either increasing or decreasing) miRNA expression after injury. As such, we are currently working in a cell culture model to identify the most neuroprotective miRNA manipulations that we can then test in the mouse model.  
UNMC Core Facility Profile:
Clinical Movement Analysis Research Core
Elizabeth Wellsandt, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, director of the Clinical Movement Analysis Research Core (CMOVA), courtesy assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at UNMC and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Biomechanics at UNO, provided answers to our questions about CMOVA and how CHRI investigators can engage with its offerings.
 
In what way can engagement with the CMOVA benefit CHRI investigators? 
 
Members of the CMOVA Lab are experts in understanding the effects of movement on health outcomes. The CMOVA Lab is the place to advance research and foster clinical collaborations in movement science and rehabilitation. CHRI investigators can benefit from engagement with the CMOVA Lab in several ways. The members of the CMOVA lab have expertise in rehabilitation, motor control, exercise science, biomechanics, cancer, orthopedics and sports medicine that may promote beneficial collaborations and advance the work of CHRI investigators. In addition, the lab space offers the opportunity to complete muscle strength testing, biomechanical assessment of movement, cardiorespiratory exercise testing, tests of physical function (e.g. stair climbing tests or timed walk tests), quantitative balance assessments and muscle electromyography (EMG) testing. The lab houses additional equipment such as physical activity monitors and a 20-foot pressure walkway to measure movement outside of the lab.
  
If an investigator wants to learn more about the PT Clinical Movement Analysis Lab in connection with research projects, what is a good way of getting needed information? 
 
Investigators can learn more about the CMOVA lab at this link. Here you will find information about lab members, ongoing projects and collaborations and equipment and lab space. Additional information regarding ongoing projects can be found on the lab team web pages for Dr. Diane Ehlers and Dr. Elizabeth Wellsandt.
 
What are the first steps toward engaging the services of the PT Clinical Movement Analysis Lab?  
 
The first step to engaging the services of the CMOVA Lab is to contact its director, Dr. Elizabeth Wellsandt (elizabeth.wellsandt@unmc.edu; 402-559-4309).
 
What are some common questions you get about the PT Clinical Movement Analysis Lab and what are the answers to those questions?  
 
Where is the CMOVA Lab located?
The CMOVA Lab is located on the first floor of the Student Life Center. It is in the same building as the Center for Healthy Living. A benefit to participants testing in the CMOVA Lab is that visitor parking is available directly outside of the doors to the lab for convenient access.
 
What academic departments to faculty members of the CMOVA belong to?
Our faculty members belong to the UNMC Division of Physical Therapy Education and Department of Neurological Sciences.
 
What equipment is available in the CMOVA Lab?
The CMOVA Lab houses equipment including a camera-based movement system, force platforms, wireless electromyography (EMG) systems, isokinetic dynamometer to measure muscle strength, treadmills, metabolic system to measure fitness levels, EKG system to monitor heart rhythm, cycle ergometer, physical activity monitors, heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, scales, head-mounted virtual reality display, portable gait analysis pressure walkways, computerized dynamic posturography analysis system to measure balance and other portable balance and gait analysis devices.
 
What is the main thing you hope readers take away from your profile in the CHRI Research Bulletin about the PT Clinical Movement Analysis Lab?  
 
The CMOVA Lab houses state-of-the art equipment and extensive faculty expertise to assess and understand the impact of human movement on health outcomes. Our lab’s location on UNMC’s main campus allows for collaborative opportunities across various patient populations, as movement affects us all. Our innovative tools support in-depth analysis of many body systems that affect movement, including the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and cardiopulmonary systems. The CMOVA Lab is focused on movement for health to advance and improve outcomes of the patients that we serve.
Meet a Fellow CHRI Member
Shannon Buckley, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy at UNMC.

What is your current primary area of research?
 
The goal of my lab is to utilize genomic and proteomic approaches in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells, as well as mouse models, to study molecular mechanisms regulating cell fate decisions. 
 
Please share information on a current research project.
 
We are currently studying several FBOX ubiquitin E3 ligases to understand their role in hematopoietic stem cell maintenance, hematopoietic lineage specification and acute myeloid leukemia. In addition, we study the ubiquitin E3 ligase UBR5 in hematopoietic malignancies. Our work has demonstrated a key role of UBR5 in maturation and activation of B cells. Our future goal is to further decipher the molecular mechanism of UBR5 and understand the contribution of UBR5 in trisomy 8 myeloid malignancies and 8q amplifications in lymphoid malignancies. The dynamic reversibility of the ubiquitin modification (by kinases, phosphatases, E3 ligases and de-ubiquitinases) and recent success of a UPS inhibitors, PROTACS and molecular glues proves the translational importance of the ubiquitin proteasome system and opens the way for possible future therapeutics.
 
What has been the primary benefit of CHRI membership?
 
Membership in CHRI and the Pediatric Cancer Research Group has brought clinicians and scientists together and helps scientists understand the issues in the clinic that can hopefully be brought back to the bench for research.
Tiffany Moore, PhD, RN, is an associate professor for the College of Nursing at UNMC. Clinically, she is a forensic nurse examiner and a sexual assault nurse examiner for Project Harmony
 
What is your current primary area of research?
 
My research focuses on the effects of chronic stress on mom and baby. I specifically look at the bio-psycho-social factors associated with perinatal outcomes such as toxic stress, adverse childhood experiences, racism, intimate partner violence and poverty. Previously, I have worked with basic scientists to identify relationships between oxidative stress and perinatal outcomes and to develop a predictive model for perinatal complications. I am passionate about creating screening tools and predictive models so we can target therapeutic preventative intervention strategies into clinical practice during the perinatal period to ultimately improve maternal-child outcomes.
 
Please share information on a current research project. 
 
One of my currently funded projects is looking at relationships between maternal social emotional maturity and infant social emotional development. Because of the direct relationship between adverse childhood experiences and social emotional maturity, we are trying to identify cyclical patterns for future intervention studies. Recently I received funding to study relationships between chronic stress with the maternal and infant microbiome to see how chronic stress affects maternal and even infant microbiota. In another current study, I am looking at relationships between maternal chronic stress with infant gastrointestinal dysfunction, such as MSPI, colic and reflux.
 
What has been the primary benefit of CHRI membership?
 
CHRI provides multiple opportunities to learn about the latest research, to stay current in related fields and to network with other colleagues. 
Thank you Drs. Buckley and Moore for your time and responses. At this time, we are randomly selecting the members to be profiled, but if you would like to be featured, please email chri@unmc.edu.
PRO Education Committee Tip of the Month:
Ethical Access
The recruitment of subjects requires two distinct activities, each of which must respect the privacy of patients:
  • Obtainment of information which leads the investigator to believe or conclude that the patient is eligible for the research.
  • Subsequent approach to the patient to explain the research and obtain his/her consent to participate.

An investigator may have ethical access to this information in this context in one or more of the following manners:
  • The investigator has an existing clinical relationship with the patient.
  • The investigator works with a provider who has an existing clinical relationship with the patient.
  • The investigator’s professional responsibilities (independent of his/her role as a researcher) require that he/she has this information.
  • Members of a “care team” (e.g., a hospital pharmacist, or nurse practitioner that rounds with the primary physician provider) have a clinical relationship and therefore ethical access, the “care team” does not usually include a research coordinator acting on behalf of the investigator.

Additional options:
  • Use an “honest broker” (per HRPP policy 3.4; Use of Protected Health Information in Research) or
  • The Conditions of Treatment Form designation (“opt-in” designation at UNMC) must follow procedures described in HRPP policy 3.6

Taken from UNMC IRB Policies and Procedures
Electronic Lab Notebook and Inventory System Now Available at UNMC
There is now a site license for eLab Journal and eLab Inventory, which function as a combined program to facilitate all aspects of laboratory research. It is hosted on-site in the secure UNMC datacenter. Information about the eLab suite, features, training and how to obtain seats/licenses can be found here: https://www.unmc.edu/vcr/rito/data-management/elab/index.html
 
This is a highly useful system that can help accelerate work while also providing needed documentation and organization.
Disseminating Discoveries:
September Publications
Take a minute to check out the wide range of research published by CHRI members in September.
Funding Opportunities:
CHRI Grants
Next due date: November 15, 2021
Mini-Grants: up to $15k / 1 year
Research Grants: up to $50k / 1 year

Population-based Surveillance of Outcomes, Needs, and Well-being of Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Defects
CDC
Estimated due date: April 19, 2022
Max budget - $350k

For more funding opportunities, please review the CHRI grant calendar available here.
Upcoming Events:

CHRI Bone Health Mini Research Summit

The Child Health Research Institute invites you to attend the Bone Health Mini Summit on November 18, convened by the CHRI Genetics, Development, Exposures & Injuries Area of Emphasis (AOE). 

The mini summit, led by Matthew Halanski, MD, associate professor and Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery; Eric Peeples, MD associate professor, Division of Neonatology and Bill Rizzo, professor, Division of Inherited Metabolic Diseases and CHRI Scientific Director, welcomes attendees to join us to share projects, discover new resources and make valuable connections for future collaborative opportunities that improve child health.

The AOE has selected bone-related health and disorders as its theme for this year’s summit. While not an exclusive list of potential topics, trainees, investigators and supporting research and clinical personnel who are performing or are interested in the research topics below may benefit from participating in the virtual summit. 
  • Developmental biology, embryology and limb development
  • Osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts 
  • Bone dysplasias, genetic disorders and inherited disorders of metabolism affecting bone
  • Collagen diseases
  • Osteomyelitis, neonatal sepsis, MRSA musculoskeletal infections
  • Bone metabolism 
  • Endocrinology and the skeleton
  • Vitamin D, calcium, phosphorous
  • Maternal fetal interactions in the developing skeleton
  • Bone deformities and bone growth
  • Primary malignancies of bone 
  • Biomechanics of bone
  • Bone fracture, healing and remodeling
  • Osteoimmunology
  • Periosteum, cartilage and bone
  • Orthopaedic implants and 3D scaffolds
  • BMPs, FGFs, CNP, signaling
  • Animal models
  • Imaging of the skeletal system
  • 3D modeling of osseus structure
  • Bioengineered Scaffolds
  • Novel therapeutic delivery systems  

Attendees are encouraged to share their current research / research interests during the mini summit. Presentations are informal and about five minutes per presenter, and the greater number of presenters we have, the more opportunities for collaboration will occur.

Please fill out the brief pre-registration form if you would like to receive a calendar hold and be on our list to receive the latest updates about the event as the agenda is finalized.

Two types of registration will be available:
  • Participating investigator for those who plan to prepare and present a brief summary of their work and engage in active discussion to spark collaboration and resource sharing 
  • Active listener for those in research supportive roles or from other areas of research who would like to listen to the investigators and mini summit presentations
 
We look forward to seeing you at the mini summit. For questions or concerns, please reach out to chri@unmc.edu.
Community Engagement Event
Saturday, October 23, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
at NorthStar Foundation
4242 N 49th Avenue

The Department of Pediatrics and the Child Health Research Institute are organizing a Community Engagement Event where we will have a chance to meet and hang out with kids from -
  • NorthStar Foundation
  • Boys and Girl Club of the Midlands
  • Girls Inc.
  • The Jesuit Academy

We will be visiting as part of the NorthStar's Fritz Field Day. This outdoor event will see the kids enjoy -
  • Inflatable bounce rides
  • Sports and games
  • Prizes and snacks
  • Visit from players on Creighton's men's and women's soccer teams

As part of the event, kids over 12 (as well as their eligible family members) will have the opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine. There will also be tables staffed by Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Research Institute professionals to provide health information to attendees.

How You Can Help

Volunteer for the Event
We need many volunteers to make the day a success. Here is the link to sign-up to volunteer. As you will see in the link, there are a wide range of volunteer roles available. Chances are you'll be able to find a job that's just right for you.

Prizes for the Kids
Not everyone is free on the weekends. So, if you'd like to make a difference in another way, how about purchasing a prize to be raffled off for the kids. We have a list of prize ideas below. If you have purchased a prize, please email Chuck Koster for instructions on getting your prize to event organizers. 

FAQ:
 
Do I have to volunteer for the whole event?
We would love to have you commit to the entire event, but we understand busy schedules. So we have two options available:
·    Set Up / First Shift from 11:00-1:30pm
·    Second Shift / Take Down from 1:30 – 4:00pm.
 
Please, sign up for one or both time slots!
 
Should I bring anything?
We may be putting out a call for certain items, other than prizes, closer to the event, but right now, not really. Depending on what you will be doing at the event, you could bring a chair to sit in. And you will, of course, want to dress appropriately based on the weather forecast. This is an outdoor event.
 
This is an outdoor event. What happens if the weather is lousy?
The event will either be rescheduled or canceled. Hope for great weather!
 
What kind of prizes should I buy for the kids?
  • Gift cards (fast food restaurants, Nike, Amazon, Hy-Vee, Dick's Sporting Goods, GameStop, etc.)
  • Snacks or drink items (Gatorade, Takis spicy snacks and other negligibly nutritious snacks and beverages that teenagers tend to like)
  • Branded athletic wear and sporting goods
 
Can my family come?
Yes please, the only caveat is that we are asking that volunteers be 18 years old or older.
 
Is Nebraska or Iowa playing football that day?
They are not.
 
Can I go there and just hang out, rather than volunteer?
Yes, but unless inflatable obstacle courses are your thing, there won't be adult activities other than the opportunity to hang out with the kids.
 
Why should I give up one of the few weekend days I get to volunteer at this event?
The Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Research Institute have made a commitment to be engaged civic partners, and the organizations invited to this event are a natural match with us, in so far as they provide for the needs of youth in our city. By taking part in this event you are fulfilling the promise our organizations made to bring value to our community. You will be showing that we are not just talk. That we want to make a difference. And, in the process, you will be enriching your life and the lives of the kids you meet. We'll see you there.
University of Nebraska
2021 Collaboration Initiative Retreat

The primary purpose of the Collaboration Initiative is to enhance competitiveness of University of Nebraska faculty for extramural funding by fully leveraging intellectual capacity and research resources across the campuses. The 2021-2022 funding opportunity is designed to facilitate and strengthen research collaborations among NU faculty.

This year’s faculty-grant Request for Applications (RFA) will solicit proposals from multi-campus multidisciplinary teams that help position them to compete for extramural funding. Researchable topics will not be administratively predefined, but applications must be designed to strengthen the team’s future funding proposal. All disciplines are encouraged to apply; projects must build towards a competitive extramural funding application.

Retreat Date:
Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021

Retreat Location:
Nebraska Innovation Campus - Conference Center
2021 Transformation Drive, Lincoln, NE 68508
Depending on public health guidance, Zoom and/or other accommodations will be available.

Retreat Schedule:
9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Keynote Address: 9:30 a.m.
An agenda will be made available closer to the Retreat.

Keynote Speaker
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost, University of Nebraska
Chancellor, University of Nebraska Medical Center
“Planning & Strategy: Designing the Future”
Child Health Research Institute
986847 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-6847
402-559-4032 or 402-955-7907