The Department of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center, along with the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, conducts a range of health services, clinical, translational, and basic science research. There are over 45 principal investigators in the department who are also faculty at BU, with over $17 million dollars in grant funding annually.
Ongoing research includes longitudinal cohort studies, case-control studies, clinical trials, basic science studies, translational research, qualitative studies, secondary analysis of large-scale cohorts, and program evaluation. The department is also home to the Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
$17 M+ in Annual Research Funding
Sources of funding include NIH, PCORI, CDC, the healthcare industry, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
International Impact
In 2025 alone, our research has been cited in policies in over 30 countries
Collaboration Powerhouse
We have collaborations with 50+ institutions, including Harvard University, John Hopkins University, MGH, Yale University, and NIH.
Meet the Team Advancing Equity-Driven Pediatric Health Innovation
Elisha M Wachman, MD
Alison Galbraith, MD, MPH
Research Support Services
BMC’s Research and Sponsored Programs is the central administration and information hub for clinical research activities and other programs that are funded via grants or other external sources.
The BMC Department of Pediatrics Research Support Services (PRSS) offers centralized data analytics/cleaning and consultation resources for connecting investigators to identify research coordinators and project managers. For more information, contact pediatric.research@bmc.org.
Programs and Research Areas
Health Services Research
The Division of Health Services Research (HSR) studies the spectrum of pediatric healthcare, from routine primary care to specialized medical services. The Division of Health Services leads nationally recognized work in care delivery redesign, health equity, and population health with a focus on historically marginalized communities.
Education, Development, and Training
The Department of Pediatrics hosts a weekly research seminar series for research faculty and staff. Topics over the past year have included works in progress, guest speakers from collaborating departments and institutions, tips for writing Specific Aims pages, AI in scientific writing, pre- and- post-award management, NIH biosketches and Other Support pages, and hiring and managing research staff. For more information, contact PedsHSR@bmc.org.
Our monthly K Club is a specialized mentoring and seminar series designed to support early-stage investigators and junior faculty in obtaining National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career Development Awards (K awards). The purpose of this club is to provide a supportive environment for grant writing, navigating funding agencies, and transitioning to independent R01 research.
The BMC Department of Pediatrics hosts an annual Research & Scholarship Day, showcasing faculty, trainees, and staff from across the department and their scholarly work related to research, quality improvement, and education. The day includes keynote speakers, lightning clinical innovation and rising research star talks, oral abstracts, a poster session, and an awards ceremony.
The general academic pediatrics (GAP) fellowship is based in the Division of Health Services Research within the Department of Pediatrics. We aim to build research competency and launch the next generation of independently funded, impact-driven physician-scientists and academic leaders who will address the complex challenges facing child and family health.
We are also part of other specialized pediatric fellowships, including:
Location and Contact
