Dr. Ann Davis Awarded $2.2 Million NIH Grant
Research Collaboration Addresses Feeding Problems of Children with Chronic Medical Conditions
Ann Davis, PhD, MPH, ABPP, Director of the Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition and Ralph L. Smith Professor of Pediatrics at KU Medical Center, has been awarded a $2.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health. Investigators from Children’s Mercy Kansas City, KU Medical Center, Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego will investigate “The Safety and Efficacy of Megesterol as Part of an Outpatient Feeding Protocol for Children with Chronic Medical Conditions.”
The purpose of the study is to assess the effectiveness of iKanEat, an outpatient multicomponent treatment designed to transition children from tube to oral feeding, specifically conducting a randomized controlled trial of a medication called megesterol that is a component of the treatment.
“We are excited about this opportunity to examine additional options for families facing the challenges of managing a child with tube feeding and transitioning a child from tube to oral feeding,” said Dr. Davis, the principal investigator on the study. “Our team developed a novel, interdisciplinary outpatient protocol for transitioning children from tube to oral feeding called iKanEat. We are grateful for the support of the NIH to carry out this important work that is designed to improve the quality of lives for parents and medically compromised children.”
Sarah Edwards, DO, Pediatric Gastroenterology, is the PI at Children’s Mercy. Jose Cocjin, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterology, is a co-investigator, and Kelsey Dean, MS, RD, LD, CCRP, is the project coordinator.
Children’s Mercy Kansas City is an independent, non-profit, 390-bed pediatric health system, providing over half a million patient encounters each year for children from across the country. Children’s Mercy is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in all ten specialties. We have received Magnet® recognition five times for excellence in nursing services. In affiliation with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, our faculty of nearly 800 pediatric specialists and researchers is actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research and educating the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists. The Children’s Mercy Research Institute (CMRI) integrates research and clinical care with nationally recognized expertise in genomic medicine, precision therapeutics, population health, health care innovation and emerging infections. In 2021 the CMRI moved into a nine-story, 375,000-square-foot space emphasizing a translational approach to research in which clinicians and researchers work together to accelerate the pace of discovery that enhances care.