Director of Molecular Genetics and Basic Science Carol Wise, Ph.D. and Assistant Director of Molecular Genetics Jonathan Rios, Ph.D. are in Rockville, Maryland attending the inaugural Kids First Program annual meeting held at Johns Hopkins University- Montgomery County Campus. Rios was awarded a grant through the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program to fund his project, “Genomics of Orthopaedic Disease (GOOD for Kids), which utilizes next-generation genomic technologies to discover the genetic causes of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). DNA samples from Scottish Rite Hospital’s biobank of AIS patients and families have recently been selected for analysis.  

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program was established as a resource for researchers everywhere to access a vast amount of genetic data from children diagnosed with cancer and other birth defects. The purpose of this program is to create a large data set of sequenced DNA from thousands of individuals to understand pediatric diseases and ultimately find the cause. In 2014, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act was signed into law authorizing to support a fund specifically for pediatric research.

The Kids First Program is at the forefront of innovation. Along with federal support, our team at Scottish Rite Hospital is an integral part of this national project and is conducting ongoing research to understand the causes of various pediatric diseases. 

Carol Wise, Ph.D., and Jonathan Rios, Ph.D., are professors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). Dr. Wise is a Professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Pediatrics, and Orthopedic Surgery and Dr. Rios is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery.