Sheffield Children’s brings national translational research conference to the city

Leading researchers from across the UK gathered in Sheffield last week for the first ever National Paediatric Translational Research Conference, to explore how advances in science and technology can improve the lives of children with rare and complex conditions.

Taking place on 15 and 16 October at Sheffield City Hall, the conference was organised by the Paediatric Excellence Initiative (PEI), a collaboration between Great Ormond Street, Alder Hey, Birmingham Children’s and Sheffield Children’s.

Professor Meena Balasubramanian, Clinical Director of Research at Sheffield Children’s opened the second day of the landmark event, highlighting Sheffield Children’s commitment to advancing research and creating healthier futures for children and young people.

She said: “Every child with a rare disease deserves the opportunity to benefit from the very best research and clinical care. While each individual condition may affect only a small number of people, collectively rare diseases impact millions of families worldwide.

“Events like this are incredibly important because they bring together researchers, clinicians and, most importantly, families. When we listen to families and work together across disciplines and across organisations, we accelerate discoveries that can improve diagnosis, develop new treatments and transform lives.

“Sheffield Children’s has a long history of combining compassionate care with pioneering research, and we are proud to welcome the rare disease community to Sheffield. By building these partnerships, we are helping shape the future of care for children with rare genetic conditions.”

The two-day conference showcased cutting-edge science and collaborative approaches shaping the future of children’s healthcare around four key themes: advanced therapeutics; genomic medicine; data, artificial intelligence and devices; and therapeutic safety and efficacy.

Bringing together researchers and clinicians from across the UK, the event aims to strengthen research partnerships and explore how scientific discoveries can be translated into better diagnosis, new treatments and improved care for children.

The PEI was established in 2022 through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). It brings together expertise from four leading children’s hospitals to deliver an early translational research programme focused on improving the lives of children with rare and complex conditions.

The inaugural conference was an opportunity to share emerging research, strengthen collaboration and explore how advances in genomics, data science and therapeutics can be translated into meaningful benefits for children and families.

The conference reflects Sheffield Children’s long-standing commitment to combining pioneering research with compassionate care.

As Sheffield Children’s marks 150 years of caring for children and young people, bringing the national research community together in Sheffield demonstrates how that legacy continues to shape the future.

By building partnerships, advancing discoveries and working towards earlier diagnoses, we can create better treatments and healthier futures for children and families living with rare conditions.