About Us

Working under the leadership of Lu Cai, M.D., Ph.D., the Pediatric Research Institute's mission is to improve children's health, development and well-being through high-quality research. At present, support is directed toward providing infrastructure support for promising pediatric scientists and pioneering new research directions. We intend to achieve maximum return on what constitutes a currently small but growing investment in pediatric research, while implementing a "bench to bedside" philosophy.

We currently house excellent research programs in  Sleep Neurobiology and JuvenileDiabetes. We are expanding our scope to include tumor biology and outcomes research. Moreover, all of the programs housed here have the potential for expansion through collaborative research.

We are located in the Baxter Research Building on the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center campus. Our facility aids research by providing state-of-the-art equipment and a laboratory design that maximizes efficiency and supports innovation. Through common areas like informal lounges, we also provide the means for collaboration among researchers from various disciplines. The 30,000 square foot research floors feature three core laboratories and 18 laboratories measuring 880 square feet each. Annual support for Pediatric Research Institute investigators totals more than $5 million, with a substantial amount of the funding coming from the National Institutes of Health.

We are dedicated to the discovery of fundamental problems associated with pediatric disease. It is a core departmental function that will only grow in importance. Each year, our faculty produces significant peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, scientific presentations, books, and book chapters—43 in 2013. We have four endowed chairs of pediatric research.