The Kaul Pediatric Research Institute (KPRI) continues to strengthen pediatric research by providing investigators with the resources needed to transform innovative ideas into nationally competitive research programs and externally funded studies that improve child health.
Established by the Children's of Alabama Board of Trustees in 1989 and later expanded through a $5 million gift from the Kaul Foundation, KPRI provides funding that helps investigators generate preliminary data, launch new research programs and compete successfully for national funding. Through its competitive, NIH-style peer review process, KPRI helps investigators generate the preliminary data needed to pursue extramural funding while advancing discoveries that improve children’s health.
Since 2008, KPRI has awarded more than $8 million to support 113 research projects led by 88 unique investigators. The program has become an important catalyst for pediatric research, helping faculty publish findings, present their work nationally and successfully compete for federal and foundation funding.
Several Department of Pediatrics investigators funded during the 2024–2026 cycle have already demonstrated the catalytic impact of KPRI support by generating preliminary data, strengthening their research portfolios and securing competitive extramural funding. Recent award recipients highlight how KPRI investments translate into national research funding.
Byron Lai, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, continues to expand his nationally recognized rehabilitation research through KPRI support. His project evaluating virtual reality exercise and mindfulness interventions for children recovering from cancer treatment informed his successful application for an NIH R01 grant totaling $3,034,853 over five years.
Ariel A. Salas, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Neonatology, also advanced his KPRI-supported research into federal funding. His pilot study evaluating early vitamin D supplementation in infants born extremely premature helped lay the groundwork for a NIH R34 award totaling $654,330 over three years. The federally funded study will investigate whether high-energy human milk diets can reduce severe respiratory disease in premature infants.
Hope P. Wilson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, leveraged her KPRI-funded research to secure a NIH K23 Career Development Award totaling approximately $944,265 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Her KPRI project examined anticoagulation adherence in children with thrombosis, generating preliminary data that helped support her federally funded research to improve treatment adherence and outcomes for pediatric patients.
Collectively, these three KPRI-supported investigators secured more than $4.6 million in NIH funding. Together, these projects reflect the mission of the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute: to invest in promising investigators at critical stages of their research careers. Whether advancing toward a first federal award or expanding an established research program, KPRI provides the foundation for discoveries that improve the health of children in Alabama and beyond.