Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research (Kids First)
Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research (Kids First)
Kids First projects
Program Snapshot
The goal of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) is to help researchers uncover new insights into the biology of childhood cancer and structural birth defects, including the discovery of shared genetic pathways between these disorders. Children with birth defects have an increased risk of developing childhood cancer. This suggests there are shared genetic pathways underlying some types of childhood cancer and structural birth defects. Kids First is achieving this goal through two initiatives: 1) identifying children with childhood cancer and structural birth defects and their families for whole genome sequencing performed by the Kids First sequencing centers 2) developing the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource, a large-scale database of clinical and genetic data from patients with childhood cancers and structural birth defects and their families. Analyzing genetic sequence data from children with childhood cancer and structural birth defects together may lead to the discovery of new genetic pathways.
Over 2015-2022, the program selected 63 childhood cancer and structural birth defects cohorts for whole genome sequencing through a peer-review process, representing and 21,000 patients and 55,000 genomes. The program will select additional cohorts in 2023 pending available funding. Clinical and genetic data from 21 of the Kids First projects are publicly available through the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Portal, a cloud-based platform made up of tools to foster analyses and collaborations between childhood cancer and structural birth defect research communities. Kids First is enabling new findings in birth defects and childhood cancers.
For an overview of the Kids First Program watch the video below:
Quick Links:
- Read the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act bill.
- Sign up for the NIH Common Fund’s Kids First email listserv to receive periodic updates on program planning and activities.
- NIH resources on Birth Defects:
- NIH resources on Childhood Cancers
- Cancer Facts and Figures from the American Cancer Society.
The Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource
Through its Data Resource Center and NIH X01 grant mechanism, Kids First supports data generation and data sharing in the cloud. To date, the program has supported the public release of data from 30 projects and made available nearly 30,000 genomes, representing structural birth defects and childhood cancer patients and families through the Kids First Data Resource Portal
Announcements
Watch the Kids First Spring Webinar and Research Showcase
On May 1, 2023, the Kids First program held a webinar to provide updates on the program and the latest research findings from Kids First investigators. Watch the webinar recording.
Kids First Cloud Credits Pilot is Open to All Researchers!
Cloud Credits are open and available to all researchers and sponsored by NIH. These credits enable researchers to conduct cloud-based analyses accessing Kids First data and utilizing the tools available through the Kids First Data Resource Center (link is external). The Cloud Credits program aims to lower barriers for using a web-based platform, building and sharing workflows, and analyzing Kids First and non-Kids First data in one cloud workspace. If you would like to participate in the Kids First Cloud Credits Pilot, please read and follow the instructions described in the pilot announcement. Requests are submitted and reviewed on a rolling basis for quick access to cloud credits. If you have any questions, please contact KidsFirst@od.nih.gov.
