Research at Boston Children's Hospital
The research enterprise at Boston Children’s Hospital, comprising more than 3,000 researchers, is the world’s largest at a pediatric center. Our work is fueled by a deep understanding of disease biology coupled with world-class discovery platforms, including genetics and genomics, gene editing, bioinformatics, proteomics, bioengineering, image analysis, biobanks, disease-specific stem cell lines, and a range of animal models. We have special expertise in rare disease discovery, a robust Translational Research Program and large, diverse patient populations for clinical research and trials.
More than 3,000 researchers and scientific staff
1 million square feet of research space — and growing
3,400 articles/year in peer reviewed journals — the most of any pediatric hospital
Immune biomarkers predicted COVID-19 severity and could help in future pandemics
Why did some people become critically ill from COVID-19 and others not? In 2020, we co-launched a national study that dove deep into the virus’s impact on the immune system.
Conquering a rare metabolic condition: A family, a pediatrician, and two labs join forces
Boston Children’s has become a hotbed of research on SSADH deficiency, a rare metabolic condition causing language deficits, intellectual disability, epilepsy, and more.
Making ionocytes: A step toward cell or gene therapy for cystic fibrosis
Ionocytes comprise just 1 percent of airway cells, but they’re critical cells in CF. Our researchers can now explore repairing them and returning them to patients’ lungs to reverse CF’s effects.

Rising stars in research
Meet some of our scientists and the projects they hope to advance.