Within The Center for Cancer, CHORI investigators translate scientific insight into meaningful advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric malignancies. Collaborations between clinical and basic researchers probe all aspects of cancer research from investigating the genetic, metabolic and molecular markers associated with response to therapeutic interventions, to identifying novel methods of drug delivery or new therapeutic targets to prevent cancer cell proliferation.

From identifying genetic and environmental causes of birth defects and determining genetic factors that trigger diabetes, to contributing to the sequencing of the human genome, investigators in The Center for Genetics endeavor to create a better understanding of the genetic basis of common diseases. Identifying which genes interact with diet, behavior, and other aspects of the environment will profoundly impact both prediction of risk and disease management, providing the opportunity to design preventive and therapeutic agents for specific groups of individuals.

Envisioned as a locus for cross-disciplinary research in vaccine development, The Center for Immunology and Vaccine Development investigates the fundamental mechanisms of immunity to infectious agents in order to develop novel vaccines and therapeutic approaches in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Ongoing research includes the development of meningitis vaccines, understanding mechanisms of virulence in bacterial pathogens, creating vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases, or reducing the transmission rates of HIV from mothers to babies.

The Center for Nutrition and Metabolism is committed to understanding metabolic mechanisms of causation for the contribution of poor diets to disease and premature aging and then translating this knowledge into clinical trials and prevention. Combining the efforts of over seven different laboratories, the Nutrition Center investigates all aspects of the ~40 micronutrients required for proper metabolism. In particular, the Center is interested in addressing micronutrient inadequacy in low-income populations, where poor diet tends to be a significant health factor.

Within The Center for Prevention of Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes, researchers come together from a variety of disciplines to investigate the factors that predispose individuals to obesity and related diseases such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The Obesity Center takes a myriad of approaches to address the fastest growing cause of illness in the U.S., from researching the effects of metabolic aberrations in obese pregnant women to the characterization of the enzyme complex that converts dietary carbohydrate into fat or the identification of lipoprotein abnormalities associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk.

At the forefront of the national and international effort to address the needs of millions of children suffering from genetic disorders that leads to impaired red blood cells, the world-renowned Center for Sickle Cell and Thalassemia provides state of the art patient care and the opportunity to participate in national and international clinical studies. Actively supporting translational research in which basic science in the laboratory is directly applied to patient care, the center explores such topics as membrane lipid organization in sickle cell and thalassemia, novel approaches to the treatment of iron overload from blood transfusions or brain ischemia in sickle cell, with studies aimed at developing neuroprotective agents.

These are but a few examples of the research undertaken within CHORI’S six Centers of Research. Explore each of the individual Centers’ pages or Principal Investigator’s pages to discover the full extent of CHORI’s impact across the globe – one cure – one vaccine – one preventative intervention at a time.