Summary: Children’s National Hospital will lead the Special Populations Hub for the BARDA Accelerator Network, focusing on pediatric innovation in public health emergencies. The SPARK hub will collaborate with partners to advance pediatric medical countermeasures.
Key Takeaways:
- The BARDA Accelerator Network aims to foster innovation and provide comprehensive support for health security solutions.
- The pediatric-focused SPARK hub, led by Children’s National, will play a key role in advancing medical countermeasures for children during public health emergencies.
Children’s National Hospital has been chosen to lead the Special Populations Hub in the next generation of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Accelerator Network. BARDA is part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Purpose of the BARDA Accelerator Network
The next generation of the BARDA Accelerator Network builds on lessons learned from the first iteration of the network and the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of agile and scalable mechanisms to support innovation. The network comprises hubs across the U.S. focused on supporting innovations in diagnostics/medical devices, therapeutics/vaccines, digital health tools, special populations, and enabling technologies. The five hubs will collectively foster the growth of the innovation ecosystem and partner with entrepreneurs, innovators, and companies to develop adaptable, scalable, sustainable, accessible, and equitable health security solutions.
Special Populations Hub: SPARK for Innovations in Pediatrics
The pediatric-focused hub will be known as Special Populations Acceleration, Research and Knowledge (SPARK) for Innovations in Pediatrics. Children’s National will lead the hub with its SPARK partners: BioHealth Innovation, Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology (CIMIT) at Mass General Brigham, and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s.
Partnerships and Strategic Collaborations
Industry strategic partner Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) has a Washington, D.C., site co-located at the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus that serves as the hub for BLUE KNIGHT, a joint initiative between JLABS and BARDA aimed at advancing the innovation and incubation of high-potential science and technologies that may improve health security and response.
“We are thrilled to have been selected to lead the BARDA Accelerator Network Hub for Pediatrics, a role that underscores our commitment to advancing the health and safety of children during public health emergencies. To tackle the complex challenges of pediatric medical countermeasures (MCMs), we have assembled an exceptional team of pediatrician-scientists. Their expertise will be instrumental as we partner with BARDA on this vital mission, ensuring that our most vulnerable populations receive the care and protection they deserve,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National and principal investigator of SPARK Innovations in Pediatrics, the BARDA Accelerator Network Hub for Special Populations.
Julia Finkel, MD, professor of anesthesiology and critical care, and head of pain medicine research at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, will serve as the co-principal investigator of SPARK. An entrepreneur and founder of AlgometRx, Finkel brings expertise in life sciences, clinical trials, and academic entrepreneurship.
Aims of the BARDA Accelerator Network
The BARDA Accelerator Network aims to provide comprehensive support to health security innovators, startups, and BARDA portfolio companies through wrap-around accelerator services, technical and business/commercialization expertise, and resources. The network will facilitate the rapid development, evaluation, validation, and commercialization of medical countermeasures.
