$5M funding launches pediatric IBD research network

Vancouver, BC – The Foundation for Children with Intestinal and Liver Disorders (CH.I.L.D) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) are creating a partnership, the Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network, with $5 million in funding. The goals of this national network and data platform include finding a cure for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in children and identifying means of prevention.

Pediatric IBD has a number of characteristics that distinguish it from adult-onset IBD, and the network will link leading scientists from 10 major academic institutions across seven provinces (BC, AB, MB, ON, QC, NS, and NL) to study pediatric IBD exclusively. The network will also work toward improving the quality of care for current pediatric IBD patients (and their families), as well as uncovering the factors that make children susceptible to developing IBD.

“Canada has a very high incidence of pediatric IBD—in fact, it’s one of the highest in the world,” said Dr. Anne Griffiths, lead researcher for the network at SickKids Research Institute in Toronto. “Together, researchers can tackle questions such as the reasons for the high prevalence of IBD in Canadian children; with collaboration from health care professionals, we can determine the best treatment strategies to heal bowel inflammation.”