A Clinical Lens on Pediatric Engineering: Pioneering Science and Technology for Cutting-Edge Patient Care

A Clinical Lens on Pediatric Engineering: Pioneering Science and Technology for Cutting-Edge Patient Care explores the depth and breadth of the newly applied science of pediatric engineering and its dawning era. Placing into context the origins of pediatric medicine and engineering, this deep dive into and beyond medical digital-to-device innovation integrates scientific rigor with clinical perspective, incorporating case examples of diagnostic and therapeutic breakthroughs, cautionary tales, and lessons in translation.

The book begins by explaining the unique considerations of the developing child and the importance of including nuanced end-user and human factors early and often in the process of seeking biomedical solutions. It provides an overview of this population's diverse and dynamic biopsychosocial characteristics compared to adults, contrasting organ systems, cognitive maturation, bioethics, growth, and drug metabolism. A distinguished team of contributors supplies a comprehensive blueprint for transforming an idea through to clinical implementation, featuring the ever-expanding influences and intricacies of discovery. The book covers a wide array of topics, including fetal intervention, transplantation, regenerative medicine, addiction, ophthalmology, surgery (e.g., minimally invasive, orthopedic), cancer, nanotechnology, radiology imaging modalities, gene therapy, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, liquid biopsy, immersive technologies (e.g., augmented and virtual reality), neurodiversity, rare disease, critical care, robotics, materials science and tissue engineering. The design challenges specific to children’s hospitals and healthcare facilities are discussed, highlighting the flexibility needed to achieve optimal patient outcomes, gather meaningful data, and drive innovative progress.

This landmark work calls on key stakeholders to address the obstacles related to funding practices, clinical trials, and other impediments that hinder the timely and safe delivery of life-altering and life-saving results. It provides child health innovators with the essential tools to bridge these gaps and drive transformation in the rapidly evolving landscape of pediatric care.

Dr. Jamie Leigh Wells, MD, FAAP, the President and Founder of the Yale Alumni Health Network (YAHN), whose mission is to break down silos in health-related disciplines to spur innovation, is an award-winning Board-certified physician leader with many years of experience caring for patients having served as a clinical instructor and attending physician at NYU Langone, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan. An RSI alumna and scholar, she was Director of the Research Science Institute (RSI) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), collaboratively sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE). An innovator and thought leader, Dr. Wells has published over 400 articles as Director of Medicine for an educational advocacy nonprofit informing the public and policymakers on evidence-based medicine and science and was a longstanding member of The Leadership Council of the Wistar Institute, the nation’s first independent biomedical research facility. When the Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems (BIOMED) established the nation's first degree program in pediatric engineering, she was especially thrilled to be asked to help establish and build upon expanding Drexel’s global footprint in engineering and innovation for pediatric patients. As an Adjunct Professor, she helped develop the curriculum, teach the inaugural and subsequent classes, co-authored a cover feature in the journal Artificial Organs, did extensive outreach, and served as an Advisory Leadership Board Member for their U.S. Department of Education Ph.D. Training Grant: "Research and Engineering for Pediatrics by Interdisciplinary Collaboration Leveraging Education and Partnerships for Pediatric Healthcare (R-EPIC LEAP for Pediatric Healthcare)." Dr. Wells graduated with honors from Yale University, was inducted as a junior, and was elected president of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society at Jefferson Medical College, where she obtained her medical degree.