USU Readies New Location for Pediatric Research

The Uniformed Services University's Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine collaborated to develop a new space for pediatric clinical research


USU is opening a new child-friendly space, dedicated solely to pediatric research, later this month. Lt. Col. (Dr.) Milissa Jones, deputy director of USU's Translational Medicine Unit, said the expansion will allow the university to remain on the cutting edge of research. (Photo credit: Ian Neligh, USU)
USU is opening a new child-friendly space, dedicated solely to pediatric research, later this month. Lt. Col. (Dr.)
Milissa Jones, deputy director of USU's Translational Medicine Unit, said the expansion will allow the university
to remain on the cutting edge of research. (Photo credit: Ian Neligh, USU)

July 20, 2023 by Ian Neligh

Past the joyful parade of Disney characters along one wall, Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Milissa Jones takes a left into a room decorated with pictures of penguins and large-eyed Arctic foxes.

A “phlebotomy room,” the area will be used for drawing blood and is made to look as friendly as possible with a host of colorful cartoon characters. Other rooms showcase a wild menagerie of elephants, monkeys, lions and sea creatures. 

The new child-friendly space, dedicated solely to pediatric research, is opening later this month at the Uniformed Services University (USU).  

Jones, the deputy director of the USU Department of Medicine’s Translational Medicine Unit, says the expansion will allow the university to remain on the cutting edge of research. The USU’s Department of Pediatrics collaborated with the Medicine’s Translational Medical Unit to develop the new space for clinical research.

Jones, a pediatric infectious diseases physician who started working at USU last August, says pediatric health affects the overall health of families and the health of military service members.

“There is a big role for kids in research,” Jones says. “Often, children are left out of clinical research when considering novel drug or vaccine development. One reason is related to the vulnerability of this population, but also the misconception that the diseases most impacting children are not as important as those impacting adults.  The COVID-19 global pandemic perfectly highlighted how novel pathogens stand to impact the whole of the family.

USU's Department of Pediatrics collaborated with the Department of Medicine in the Translational Medical Unit to develop the new space for pediatric clinical research. The work to develop this new capability required transforming the university's previous pediatric office space into a child friendly space where research could be conducted. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mariterese Merrique)
USU's Department of Pediatrics collaborated with the Department of Medicine in the Translational Medical Unit
to develop the new space for pediatric clinical research. The work to develop this new capability required
transforming the university's previous pediatric office space into a child friendly space where research could be
conducted. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mariterese Merrique)

Jones says the work to develop this new capability required transforming the university’s previous pediatric office space into a child friendly space in Building 53 where research can be conducted. Walls were removed in part of the space and sinks were installed to allow for a physical exam room, phlebotomy space, and a waiting area. According to Jones, the transformation took over a year to complete.  

“Together with our pediatric clinical research coordinator, Heidi Adams, we deliberately and thoughtfully included pediatric-friendly decor,” Jones says. “Our waiting room is jungle themed, the exam room is under the sea, and our phlebotomy room is Arctic themed. Our equipment is child-friendly and will facilitate fun pediatric volunteer visits with physical assessment, vital sign monitoring, investigational product administration and sample collection capabilities.”

According to Jones, there is one protocol currently under review by the Investigational Review Board which, once approved, will be the first study completed in the new pediatric space.  The study will be a prospective observational investigation, looking to recruit about 200 children later this fall who will be followed for two years, evaluating respiratory viruses and the immune response.

“Our ultimate goal is to facilitate the conduct of clinical trials in pediatric volunteers for the university. The first step in that effort will be the prospective, observational, respiratory viral study,” Jones says. “Through this study we will learn a significant amount about how our space functions and improve along the way in order to better facilitate the next pediatric study.”

Jones says the new area helps the university remain contemporary with its peers in regards to future pediatric research. 

“Following the pandemic there have been multiple conversations on both the national and international level, in the civilian sector, related to bolstering pediatric inclusion in research,” Jones says. “The work we aim to do with this newly-developed pediatric clinical research capability allows us to remain on the cutting edge of where research is going over the next decade.”