Riley Children’s Health celebrates its second century of pediatric excellence in the 2025 annual report, continuing to redefine what’s possible in children’s healthcare across more than 40 specialties.
At the heart of this progress is the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, where our teams work together to solve the toughest challenges in child health. This commitment to discovery is supported by $44.2 million in NIH funding, placing the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics sixth in the nation for pediatric research support in Federal Fiscal Year 2024.
Transforming pediatric care through patient-centered innovation
Riley Children’s is nationally recognized for its leadership in complex pediatric care, pioneering programs, and commitment to advancing clinical innovation and education. Recent multidisciplinary highlights include:
- Through a unique collaboration between maternal fetal medicine and pediatric neurosurgery specialists, performed Indiana’s first successful fetal repair of myelomeningocele—a severe form of spina bifida—placing Riley Children’s among a select group of institutions nationwide that offer the mini-laparotomy/percutaneous fetoscopic approach
- Home to a nationally-respected pediatric heart transplant program with exceptional outcomes exceeding the national average, led by surgeons like Dr. Mark Turrentine, who has performed over 200 transplants and was one of the first surgeons in the U.S. to use the Berlin Heart to manage a child in heart failure
- Home to the Perinatal Genomics Program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, focused on improving clinical care, expanding genomic education, and advancing research for children with rare genetic diseases
- The only U.S. entity certified to train providers on ENCOMPASS, an evidence-based model used to treat co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in adolescents
Leading pediatric progress with nationally recognized research
Riley’s research scientists are shaping the future of care through innovative studies and translational breakthroughs that improve outcomes. A few of our key initiatives include:
- Leading innovative orthopedic oncology research on osteosarcoma therapies and cancer-related cachexia, bridging surgical expertise with cutting-edge molecular science
- For decades, Riley Children’s urologists have led spina bifida research, leveraging their large database to generate evidence-based insights that inform surgical and nonsurgical care strategies
- Driving discovery in GI, hepatology, and nutrition through leadership in basic, translational, and clinical research
- Leading high-quality research for pediatric pulmonology patients, including a $12 million, five-year program project grant funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute focused on developing a personalized therapy for severe asthma
Delivering breakthrough therapies through collaborative clinical trials
As one of the busiest pediatric research centers in the U.S., Riley Children’s is leading a wide range of funded clinical trials to deliver breakthrough therapies and transform care. Our recent achievements include:
- One of the first pediatric programs in the Midwest – and first in Indiana - to administer teplizumab, the first FDA-approved preventative treatment for type 1 diabetes
- Leading two Phase I CAR T-cell therapy trials for relapsed and refractory leukemia, offering cutting-edge, personalized immunotherapy to children who have exhausted standard treatment options
- A national leader in pediatric glomerular disease research, advancing treatment options for children with complex kidney conditions through a robust clinical trial program and nephrologists among the top NIH-funded in the field
To explore more of our achievements and innovations, view the full 2025 annual report.
