image: This is a rendering of the Shriners Children's Research Institute.
Credit: Shriners Children's
Atlanta, GA (November 5, 2026) Shriners Children’s is excited to announce construction has officially begun on the $153 million pediatric medical research facility in Atlanta, Georgia, marking a major step forward in establishing a global research program focused on advancing discoveries and treatments for children.
At the same time, the institute is launching a phased, five-year recruitment effort, beginning with 50 investigators to build a diverse scientific team across multiple research areas, such as tissue engineering, artificial intelligence and motion analysis. The review process for applications is expected to begin at the end of this month.
“Shriners Children’s is making a significant investment in the infrastructure and people needed to establish this institute, but we know that building a successful research enterprise takes more than a facility,” said Alison Cernich, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, Director of Shriners Children’s Institute. “Our investigators will pursue competitive external funding and develop collaborations that allow us to grow the research program, expand its impact and ultimately move promising discoveries from the labs toward the children and families who need them.”
Located in the heart of Science Square, Shriners Children’s Research Institute is designed to foster collaboration among researchers across disciplines and institutions, not only in the region, but nationally and internationally.
“Atlanta is home to an incredibly rich research ecosystem, and we see tremendous opportunity to be part of that community,” said Dr. Cernich. “Our vision is not limited to any one institution or geographic area, just as Shriners Children’s mission has always had an international reach as well as local impact. We want to build meaningful connections with researchers and organizations across Atlanta, throughout Georgia and beyond, bringing together the expertise and resources needed to accelerate discoveries that can improve care for patients and their families.”
The new facility will serve as a hub for innovative pediatric research, bringing together advanced capabilities in biomechanics and motion analysis, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, genetics, augmented reality, computational science and more. The planned research spaces will include a full biomechanics laboratory, tissue engineering laboratories, augmented reality development spaces, and facilities for cellular and molecular research.
“The establishment of the Shriners Children’s Research Institute at Science Square in Atlanta is the culmination of our philanthropy’s longstanding support for pediatric basic and clinical research,” said Dr. Marc Lalande, Ph.D., Vice President of Research Programs. “Over the past 50 years, our medical and scientific staff have made groundbreaking discoveries in the treatment of scoliosis, in rare diseases of bone, in the use of engineered skin to treat burns, in motion analysis and in building an international genomics program. Shriners Children’s could not have recruited a better leader for its Research Institute than Dr Cernich. Her outstanding background and expertise in pediatric research will raise our international profile in biomedicine and bioengineering and lead to breakthroughs that will improve the lives of the children that we serve.”
The facility will also house a clinical good manufacturing practices facility focused on translating the discoveries from the tissue engineering laboratory to products for clinical trials. This could include advances in skin grafts for burn care, engineered cartilage for repair of cleft palate, or engineered bone scaffolds to address fracture or rare bone disease.
“This is just the beginning,” said Dr. Cernich. “As we build the Shriners Children’s Research Institute, we are laying the foundation for a research program that can grow far beyond the walls of this establishment and can create even more life-changing care opportunities. We look forward to welcoming talented investigators, building new collaborations and creating opportunities to make a lasting difference in pediatric medicine.”
The initial recruitment of investigators is part of a broader plan to build a research workforce of 470 employees. Construction and recruitment represent the first of several milestones in the development of the institute. As the facility takes shape and its research team grows, these efforts will position Shriners Children’s to expand its research capabilities and pursue new opportunities to advance pediatric care. The facility is expected to be occupied in June 2027.
About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.
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Cutline: Shriners Children’s Breaks Ground on $153 Million Research Institute, Launches Recruitment Efforts.
Photo Description: Media-approved interior rendering of Shriners Children’s Research Institute.