<h2>Pediatric Clinical TrialS Unit</h2>
<h3>THE PROBLEM</h3>
<p>Medical advances often reach adults before they reach children, leaving pediatric care to rely on extrapolated data rather than child-specific evidence. Pediatric research faces systemic barriers: fewer trials designed for children, smaller datasets, higher regulatory complexity, and limited infrastructure tailored to pediatric needs.</p>
<p>These challenges are magnified for military children and military-connected families, who may experience unique health risks due to frequent relocation, deployment-related family stress, and potential exposure to diverse pathogens in global duty locations. Navigating research requirements adds further complexity, slowing the delivery of evidence-based treatments to this population.</p>
<h3>OUR APPROACH</h3>
<p>In partnership with the Department of Medicine’s Translational Medicine Unit , the Department of Pediatrics has built robust clinical and translational research capabilities to address the unique health needs of children. Our mission is to bridge scientific discovery with operational readiness, ensuring breakthroughs rapidly translate into improved preventive strategies and therapeutics for pediatric populations.</p>
- Dedicated pediatric research infrastructure – The Pediatric Clinical Trials Unit (PCTU), located in Building 53 on the Naval Support Activity Bethesda campus, is purpose-built for children. The space is optimized for efficiency and readiness to host both DoD- and industry-sponsored trials.
- Strategic partnerships – We collaborate early with sponsors and nonprofit partners to align on budgets, contracting, and military-specific requirements, minimizing delays.
- Integrated expertise – Multidisciplinary teams from Pediatrics and the Translational Medicine Unit work closely with military clinicians, regulatory experts, and sponsors to deliver impactful, high-quality trials.
<h3>LOOKING AHEAD</h3>
We aim to accelerate pediatric clinical trials at the Uniformed Services University by:
- Expanding trial capacity and staffing.
- Fostering and strengthening relationships across national pediatric clinical trials networks.
- Formalizing contracting and budget processes to speed industry collaboration.
<h2>PROSPECTIVE PEDIATRIC RESEARCH</h2>
Peds RECON [MJ1] , now closed for enrollment, was our flagship prospective observational study — the first launched in our pediatric clinical research space. It examined immune responses to respiratory viral infections in children from 1 month to 17 years, generating data on immunologic changes in response to viral illness. The study’s standardized protocols and methodology served as a blueprint for future observational and interventional pediatric trials.
Presentations and Publications
Jones MU, Parsons EL, Kobi PAK, Helfrich AM, King D, Saunders DL, Malloy AMW. Pediatric respiratory co-infection and immunologic response: peds recon study protocol. Pediatr Res. 2025 Oct 24. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04509-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41136688.
Brittany Hume-Dawson; Jennifer Manrique; Priscilla M. Kobi, MS, MSHS; Kazi Ullah, MBBS; Allison M.W. Malloy, MD, MSc ; Emily Parsons, MD, PhD; Milissa U. Jones, MD, MPH. The Prevalence of Viral Pathogen Detection on Nasopharyngeal Specimens Evaluated by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Among Asymptomatic Children. USU Research Days 2025. Bethesda, MD. May 2025. [Poster Presentation]
Brittany Hume-Dawson; Jennifer Manrique; Priscilla M. Kobi, MS, MSHS; Kazi Ullah, MBBS; Allison M.W. Malloy, MD, MSc ; Emily Parsons, MD, PhD; Milissa U. Jones, MD, MPH. The Prevalence of Viral Pathogen Detection on Nasopharyngeal Specimens Evaluated by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Among Asymptomatic Children. PAS 2025. Honolulu, HI. April 24-28 2025. [Poster Presentation]
Priscilla M. Kobi, MS, MSHS; Jennifer Manrique, BS, Emily Parsons, MD, PhD, Allison M.W. Malloy, MD, MSc, Kazi Ullah, MBBS, CRA; Milissa U. Jones, MD, MPH. People vs. Technology: Comparing Success Rates Between In-Person and Online Recruitment Strategies for the Pediatric Respiratory Co-infection and Immunologic Response Study. PAS 2025. Honolulu, HI. April 24-28 2025. [Poster Presentation]
Emily Parsons, MD,PhD, Zongyang Lu, PhD, Amanda Zelkoski, BS, Anisha Singhal, Chaim Schramm, PhD, Daniel Douek, MD, PhD, Milissa Jones, MD, MPH, Allison M.W. Malloy, MD, MSc. The Upper Respiratory Tract Response to Respiratory Viruses in Children. PAS 2025. Honolulu, HI. April 24-28 2025. [Poster Presentation]
Matthew Gadziala, MSc, Priscilla M. Kobi, MS, MSHS, Jennifer Manrique, BS, Alison Helfrich, DO, Meaghan Wido, MD, Elena Crecelius, MD, Lauren Vasta , Allison M.W. Malloy, MD, MSc, Milissa U. Jones, MD, MPH, Emily Parsons, MD, PhD. Viral Fallout: Tracking Absenteeism due to Acute Respiratory Viral Infections in Military Connected Children and Caregivers. Military Child and Family Health Symposium, Bethesda, MD. April 3, 2025. [Poster Presentation]
Milissa U. Jones, MD, MPH, Emily Parsons, MD,PhD Heidi Adams, MS, RN, CPN, Jessica V. Wilkins, BA, CCRC, Priscilla M. Kobi, MS, MSHS, Justin L. Robinson, BA, Allison M.W. Malloy, MD, MSc. The Prevalence of Viral Pathogen Detection on Nasopharyngeal Specimens Evaluated by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Among Asymptomatic Children. IDWeek 2024. Los Angeles, CA. 16-19 2024. [Poster Presentation]
<h2>ACTIVLEY RECRUITING STUDIES</h2>
Looking to have your child participate in a clinical trial? Join us in shaping the future of medicine. Please contact us by clicking this link and providing your information, and a member of our team will reach out to you. Explore our open studies below to see if your child may be eligible to participate:
<h2>INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING?</h2>
LTC Milissa U. Jones, MD, MPH
Director, Pediatric Clinical Trials Unit
Office: (301) 295-0445