The identified priorities span a broad spectrum, ranging from the integration of artificial intelligence and digital health to the complex challenges of climate change and environmental exposures. Dr. Cheng, working alongside colleagues from Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, emphasizes that these areas represent the most significant potential for medical breakthroughs.

Beyond technological and clinical advancements, the researchers highlight the urgency of addressing social drivers of health, mental health, and the persistent inequities in pediatric care. The list includes:

• Genetics, genomics, and gene therapy
• Mental and behavioral health
• Vaccines and infectious disease prevention
• Artificial intelligence and medical informatics
• Neonatal care and perinatal health
• Personalized medicine and targeted therapeutics
• Social drivers and health equity
• Obesity, nutrition, and weight management
• Environmental health and climate change impacts
• Cancer treatment and immunotherapy

This framework serves as a successor to a 2016 report on pediatric achievements. Dr. Cheng warns that realizing these goals requires robust federal support, noting that pediatric research remains consistently underfunded relative to adult health studies. Without a strategic realignment of resources, the transition from laboratory science to clinical policy remains at risk.