Transforming care through research: SickKids launches Clinical Research Strategy

With the launch its first enterprise-wide Clinical Research Strategy, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is charting a course to embed research more deeply into care and accelerate discoveries that improve health outcomes for patients and families. 

With over 3,000 active clinical studies, SickKids is a leader in paediatric research. Today, SickKids launched a new Clinical Research Strategy that will strengthen how we oversee, support and connect clinical research across our institution. 

"This strategy reflects our shared commitment to advancing child health through world-class clinical research," says Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO. "As a key enabler of SickKids 2030 and the Precision Child Health movement, it empowers us to ask bolder questions, uncover more meaningful answers and deliver care that is truly personalized for every child."

Advancing child health through world-class clinical research

Our Clinical Research Strategy is designed to enable an integrated research-care ecosystem, strengthening how we provide oversight, support and connect research across SickKids. 

Read the strategy

Shaped by the SickKids community 

The Clinical Research Strategy was developed with input from more than 500 individuals across the SickKids community, including patients and families, clinicians, researchers, leaders and staff. Their insights helped define a shared vision for clinical research, anchored by three core drivers: patient partnership, integration and impact.

Among those voices are Nindu and her daughter, Priya, who participated in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) observational study at SickKids, which monitors participants from the prenatal stage through adolescence to better understand child health. 

Priya & Nindu

Studies like CHILD collect multi-dimensional data from genetics to environmental factors across a participant’s life to help identify risk factors that promote a healthy childhood and inform disease prevention.

When her daughter Priya showed signs of an allergy, the study team confirmed she was anaphylactic to nuts—a life-changing discovery for their Sri Lankan family, whose cuisine often features cashews and peanuts. Now a teen, Priya remains in the study. She and her mother are committed to advancing long-term research, especially for underrepresented communities.

“There’s little research on South Asian women and children. Participating in clinical research is critical to understanding who we are and building an inclusive understanding of health.”

One small but meaningful tradition continues: Each year, Priya receives a birthday card from the study, a reminder that her involvement is part of something bigger, helping improve outcomes for children like her.

The path forward

The strategy outlines six key directions that will guide the future of clinical research at SickKids: 

• Commit to Patients & Families as Partners 
• Advance Safety, Quality & Accountability 
• Develop & Support a Skilled Clinical Research Workforce 
• Enable a Seamless Clinical Research Ecosystem 
• Adopt Innovative Digital Solutions 
• Ensure Sustained Impact of Clinical Research 

Each direction is designed to enhance how research is conducted, supported and translated into care to ensure that studies are more responsive, inclusive and meaningful to patients and families. 

“Better clinical research means better care for patients,” says Dr. Padmaja Subbarao, Associate Chief, Clinical Research. “By integrating research into the care experience, we can ensure that discoveries translate into meaningful improvements for children and families.”