Two Research Leaders from CHOP Elected to National Academy of Medicine

Two renowned experts from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), effective October 1, 2023. CHOP Chief Scientific Officer Susan Furth, MD, PhD, and CHOP pediatrician and PEDSnet founder Christopher B. Forrest, MD, PhD, have both been recognized for outstanding professional achievement. An election to NAM is considered one of the highest honors in health and medicine.

“Dr. Furth and Dr. Forrest are two of CHOP’s most renowned and respected scientists. Their passion and leadership have inspired CHOP researchers to create life-changing solutions for children around the world,” said Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Their expertise and vision have helped distinguish CHOP as a place where we not only provide the best pediatric care but also solve the toughest challenges in pediatric health. I congratulate them both on this well-deserved honor.”

An esteemed pediatric nephrologist, Dr. Furth is the principal investigator of the East Coast Coordinating Center for the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children study (CKiD), a role she has held since 2003. As PI, she leads a multidisciplinary team in designing research protocols and coordinating the recruitment and retention of study protocol design, as well as the coordination of recruitment and retention of study participants. Her CKiD work has helped define the natural history and clinical co-morbidities in children with chronic kidney disease and has led to clinical trials of targeted therapies to improve outcomes. Dr. Furth also leads an NIH-funded Center of Excellence in Pediatric Nephrology, whose mission is to break down barriers to clinical trials of novel therapies in children with rare kidney diseases.

In addition to her nephrology research, Dr. Furth is Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President at CHOP, where she oversees the CHOP Research Institute and its more than 1,000 investigators and 2,600 employees. She holds the Edmond F. Notebaert Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research and is a Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She is past president of the Society for Pediatric Research and was named in 2017 to the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars.

Dr. Forrest is a pediatric health services and outcomes researcher who has dedicated his career to measuring and improving children's health, focusing on – and in many cases establishing – three main fields: child health services research, learning health systems science, and life course health science (LCHS). He is the Director and Founder of PEDSnet, a national pediatric learning health system, which is one of the PCORnet Clinical Research Networks. PEDSnet is the only PCORnet network devoted exclusively to pediatric research. The network, which includes 11 pediatric academic health systems and data from more than 13 million children, representing more than 10% of all US children. Since its founding, PEDSnet has supported more than 120 observational studies and clinical trials and has trained 29 junior faculty across the country in learning health systems science.

Beyond his work with PEDSnet, Dr. Forrest also played a seminal role in advancing the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric initiative. He is now working with colleagues across the country to catalyze the new field of LCHS, which investigates how dynamic lifelong interactions between individuals and their developmental ecosystems produce health and wellbeing from birth to death. He co-edited the new Handbook of Life Course Health Development, which has been downloaded more than 900,000 times, and he is currently writing a forthcoming book on the topic. He is also a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the NAM addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy. On an annual basis, the NAM elects exceptional individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.

This year, 100 new members have been chosen for this prestigious honor. They will be formally welcomed to the NAM during next year’s annual meeting, scheduled for October 19-21, 2024.

About Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 595-bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as an inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit https://www.chop.edu.