Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Announces Major $50 Million Pediatric Genetics Research and Patient Care Initiative

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced the creation of the Roberts Collaborative for Genetics and Individualized Medicine at CHOP. The $50 million Roberts Collaborative will position CHOP at the forefront of pediatric genetics research and will take a multidisciplinary approach toward diagnostics, clinical management, consulting, therapeutics and research driven by the power of genetics. The Roberts family is the principal source of external funding for this initiative, with a $25 million gift that will facilitate the integration of all clinical departments, divisions and centers for the care of pediatric patients, as well as advance a relentless pursuit of breakthrough cures for childhood disease.

“We are extremely grateful to the Roberts family for this remarkable gift, which will help the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia usher in a new era of genetics and broaden the scope of genetic medicine across all clinical areas of the Hospital,” said Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Research is core to CHOP’s mission, and growing CHOP’s Research Institute is fundamental to our strategy and commitment to breakthroughs.”

“The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is an internationally renowned pediatric healthcare network that integrates excellent patient care, innovative research and quality professional education into all of its programs,” said Aileen K. Roberts, a former CHOP Board member.  “Philadelphia is fortunate to have some of the nation’s leading biomedical research institutes, and they are achieving great success in making the latest cures and therapies available to adults and children. Today, the Roberts family is honored to be able to contribute to CHOP’s efforts to create a world-class collaborative and clinical center for genetic and individualized medicine in pediatrics. We are gratified to be able to help children the world over and for generations to come,” she continued.

The Roberts Collaborative for Genetics and Individualized Medicine — core components

• Genetic Diagnostics — through the efforts of the Division of Genomic Diagnostics.
• Clinical Support and Counseling — by the newly established Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center at CHOP’s Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, located on the Raymond G. Perelman Campus.
• Education — for patients, families and clinicians on genetic diagnostics.
• Training — of residents and medical students about individualized pediatric care.
• Informatics — developing innovative solutions to healthcare informatics needs through CHOP’s Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics.
• Therapeutics — identifying targeted therapeutic options based on an individual’s genetic information.
• Research and Development — the creation of a data repository that will help fuel discovery of rare and complex traits, transforming them into novel diagnostic and therapeutic solutions. Components include Core Laboratories, Drug Screening, Clinical and Research Consent Development and the Biorepository at CHOP. The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics (CCMT) will help to facilitate the rapid translation of pre-clinical discoveries into clinical application.

The Roberts family has made important investments in Philadelphia-area biomedical research institutes that have contributed toward the global preeminence of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in their development of life-saving treatments and cures. The Philadelphia Roberts family includes: Suzanne F. Roberts; Catherine R. Clifton and Anthony A. Clifton; Lisa S. Roberts and David Seltzer; and Aileen K. Roberts and Brian L. Roberts. The Roberts family is committed to bolstering local non-profits focused on improving the quality of life for all Philadelphians, including social services, education and the arts community.